Welcome to the Real World!
by boredyetinspiredartist
Summary: AU Welcome to the life of a lowclass nerd named Suke. Being dunked in toilet seats, being bullied and forced to do other's homework. But WTF? He's not really who he think he is! Will he able to live a bullyfree life without his cover blown? Chap 30 revised edition's UP!
1. Welcome to the Real World!

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.

A/N: First time to write. Please be gentle. Feel free to give reviews.

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**Welcome to the Real World!** (_Yokoso! Hontou no Sekai_)

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Chapter One

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Splosh!

Splash!

Whoosh…

Gargle!

Gargle!

"Welcome to the real world!" a pudgy guy snickered as he stood up gloating alongside his friends as they were making fun of a terribly beaten individual whose head was cruelly dunked inside the toilet bowl.

The pudgy guy whooped hands with his fellow comrade, obviously happy that he had gotten another victim. "What a wuss, I really enjoy making fun of that geekster!" he drawled as they walked out of the bathroom, their laughter bouncing through the linoleum tiles.

"Yeah! Somehow, doing that makes my day complete," his friend added.

…………

Several minutes later, the person whose unfortunate head was still in the toilet bowl started to gag and retch all the unexpectedly swallowed dirty water back to its origin. After coughing and gulping air in huge amounts, the poor individual sagged against the tiled wall of the bathroom.

Damn it, they've done it again… and it's the first day of the school year too…

Staring at the ceiling for another few minutes, the poor student sighed. Running wet fingers through its long uncoiled hair, the victim began to contemplate on the parting words of the pudgy guy who relentlessly dunked its head inside the toilet bowl.

"Welcome to the real world…"

Welcome to the real world, huh… 

Or should I say, welcome to the more dreadful hellish place that we humans are currently residing. The place where we are forced to live constrained in fleshy containers that would either bleed or die in just a second. I'm not really a fan of Gothic cult and punk art so you never really have to judge my opinion about those things. I just like to think that's all.

_Really, all I have to do in my entire life was to think._

_Thinking about unnecessary things. _

_Thinking about whether I would survive another day of doing uncanny stuff (who would've though that cleaning toilet bowls and seats were compulsory in school?). _

_Thinking of another plan to escape so – called bullies that always threaten me during lunch breaks (oh yeah, have I told you that they always dunk my head in the toilet seat as part of their morning ritual?)._

_Sounds gruesome right?_

_But to me it isn't._

_You see all of these things that are ridiculously happening in my life is pretty normal to me._

_Yeah, like the kind of those that are essential. Like breathing, eating nutritious food, sleeping early, so on and so forth. So in my kind of living, being made fun by others, head being dunked in the toilet bowl, doing extremely gruesome tasks are somewhat 'essential'._

_Starting from junior high then to high school, none of these stupid routines changed except when there's a new bully terrorizing the whole school. Or when those set of bullies like the ones earlier have found a new tactic to intimidate my quiet existence. Well, although it's a really insane treatment but sure these had never been classified in the rules and regulations in the student handbook._

_And don't ask why. It'll give you a heart attack due from laughing so hard if I'm going to tell you._

…………

_You're probably bored from reading my stupid musings so I'll just go straight to the point._

_I'm an average, hardly typical person who's still trying hard to fit in a normal world. I'm not a psycho mind you; I'm just used to living in the world with an uncanny ability of reading through other people's perspectives. I'm not a mind – reader, I just like to watch people do their own thing from my own standard point of view._

_It was better that way. No one taking notice of you, you're just like a shadow, watching those who are standing in the light doing their activities as if there was no tomorrow. I'm not afraid of the sun. And I'm not a vampire if that's what you're thinking._

_Needless to say, I'm a keen observer._

_And I'm particularly happy in my trouble-free way of life until I was put in a freaky mental asylum which every traumatized young individual called _**SCHOOL**_. I forgot to mention that I'm now currently enduring my last year in high school. Enduring, well, there are a lot of things that you should know about my life._

_Head being dunked in a toilet seat. Cleaning toilets as part of the curriculum. Living in the shadows. Forced to wear long frilled dresses with lace trimmings during school festivals. Being labeled as the worst freak of the planet in the whole student body. Did I mention that I even had a fan club that chases me around?_

_They don't chase me for looks you know._

_They chase me in order for me to do their homework for them._

_So, all in all I'm a complete wreck of a person._

_It was a miracle that I was survived this year._

_And I couldn't wait until it's over. _

_Donning my usual 3 inches thick framed foggy glasses, my hair in a slicked back ponytail, airtight turtleneck with brown sweater and faded long pants in badly need of stitching, I clutched on to my fifty-pound baggage called books as I face once again the horrors of being an outcast in an exclusive school._

_Oh. I almost forgot._

_If you think I was a girl then you guys are dead wrong._

_Despite the humiliations I shared to you earlier, I forgot to tell about my gender._

_I'm a guy._

_Aa, as crazy as it sounds, it's sad to say I **am** a guy._

_The most weirdest, freakiest, geeka – zoid currently living amidst fire breathing dragons. _

_The most hated outcast ever since junior high. _

_And also, the number one victim of the 'Things to beat and beat again' list by the bullies._

_Well despite my pedigree background, you would surely be surprised in finding out who I am._

_Well, here goes…_

_Currently known as the no.1 Geek in the Ninja Academy._

_Uchiha Sasuke._

_Nice to meet you.

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_

What do you think?


	2. Introduction!

Disclaimer: I really don't own Naruto.

A/N: well, the first chapter was surprising but there would be more surprises next time!

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Chapter Two: Introduction!

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The school bell rang for the fifth time this morning. Less than five minutes the students dashed madly outside the double doors of the academy's main entrance. It was already dismissal time and everyone was no likely less than happy that they can finally get to do what they want to do.

Inside the classroom, the pink – haired teenager finished putting all of her things inside her bag when she heard her name being called.

"Sakura! Are you almost done? We're going to be late!"

"I'm coming!" she yelled back, stuffing the rest of her things in a quick swoop then ran outside of the classroom to meet with her friends.

Yamanaka Ino, her childhood best friend waved a hand at her direction. She was sitting at their usual spot underneath the Sakura tree at the back of their school overlooking the basketball courts. Sakura flashed her friend a big smile then ran towards her, sitting at her usual spot and leaning against the sturdy trunk of the tree.

"Aahh…this feels comfortable," she drawled. "I still can't believe that after senior year we're off to college!"

Ino chuckled. "Yeah. But the bottom line of that Saku – chan is that we never got to have any boyfriends."

"Oh yes I do!" Sakura sat up straight, her green eyes full of fortitude. She pointed a finger towards a basketball court that was currently being used by the boys. A blush crept up her face as she made Ino look at a particular boy with glass eyes.

Ino laughed at her friend. "Him? You can't be serious, Haruno Sakura! That boy you're pointing at is the most popular boy in Konoha Academy!"

"So what? Neji – kun and I have been go out for 4 years! Don't tell me I haven't told you the juicy details yet!" Sakura protested.

Ino patted her friend on top of her pink head. "Yah, yah I got the picture. But Sakura, the guy's been known as the number one playboy in the academy. Are you sure that you're not affected by the way he treats those girls?"

Sakura crinkled her nose in disgust. "Those cheerleaders can only gloat but they can't glomp."

"And how sure are you, Sakura – chan?"

"I'm sure!"

Ino gave a teasing smile as she wormed her hand inside Sakura's bag. She pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper then read what is inside. "Oh really? Then what does this mean? An application for the school's cheerleading squad?"

Sakura blushed furiously. "That's none of your business!" She ripped the paper from Ino. "I just wanted to stay close to Neji – kun!"

"As if. Sakura – chan, since when are you going to stop yourself in fantasizing this guy? He's been using you since junior high and I was the only witness in your suicidal threats and tendencies," Ino hooted. She flicked a strand of blond hair away from her face.

Her friend's words struck a chord in her heart. As much as she loved Hyuuga Neji as much as she loved her own life, there are times when Neji would push her buttons to the limit. When they first started as a couple, Sakura found out his flirting spree when saw him unexpectedly inside the mall with a girl and at the school clinic having a lip lock with the nurse.

Instead of being disgusted, Sakura thought that this was Neji's own way of making her notice on what they lacked in their relationship. To make his boyfriend happy, she had undergone all odds and the shame of being caught kissing in public, wearing skimpy clothing and an almost quick romp in the back seat of his car.

Luckily Ino had called her in her phone before things might have gotten worse. As far as she knew her love for him was deeper than the ocean, she could be pretty dense that her very own boyfriend was already cheating her right at her face. So, instead of arguing over Ino's judgment, Sakura knew that she was right.

But she couldn't let go of Neji.

She loved him too much to even think of it.

Ino was appreciating her thoughts. She snapped a finger in front of Sakura's face, bringing her out of her reverie. "Oi, forehead girl! You're staring out into space again!"

She only blinked.

"You know," Ino started, licking her lips. "If you weren't so infatuated with that Hyuuga playboy, I'd say you would've been hooked up with another boy that wouldn't treat you the way like he does."

Sakura gave a sigh. "As much as I wanted to do that for years, Ino – chan, sad to say I'm still in love with him. No one can change that."

Ino fiddled with the hem in her skirt as she was watching something amusing at the corner of her eye. Two brawny guys were chasing after a really dorky kid with foggy thick glasses. 'Bullies', she concluded in her thoughts as she continued watching them. The nerd just rounded up a corner. And that corner happens to be a dead end.

"Poor guy."

"Poor? Who's poor? Ino – chan?"

Ino turned to his best friend. "Nothing. Say, Sakura – chan… what if you ended up with someone else besides Neji what would you do?"

Sakura tapped her chin. "Well, as long as the guy is handsome then that's okay."

"Ha – ha." Ino began to smile evilly. "And what if the guy you happened to be in love with happens to be a dork? Imagine, a nerdy guy with all the worst looks, the worst fashion, hell, the worst living being on earth is going to sweep you off your feet!"

"That will never happen, Ino – chan!" Sakura answered defiantly. Her stuck with a nerd? She would never dare to show her place in public again! Just like her boyfriend Neji, she had a reputation to take care of. She was one of the most popular girls in Konoha academy, next to her best friend.

Ino laughed so hard that her sides were aching. "All right! All right! I was just kidding! It's just that it would be so funny if you forehead girl would get stuck with a lame brain dorkhead."

Sakura crossed her arms. "That would be so totally embarrassing!"

"I agree. I totally agree."

* * *

"Where do ya think he is?"

"Yeah. He's already late."

"Do you think he got stuck in the dumpster?"

"Maybe."

The blond haired kid with whiskers rubbed his cheek in exasperation. "Looks like we're going to save him again." He raised a hand towards his other companion. "Let's go T."

"Right on."

…………

At the other side of the school…

"Where do you think he is?"

"Looks like he escaped us once again!"

"Look everywhere! He might be around!"

As the brawny guys scampered around to look for their prey, the dumpster behind them opened and a dark head with a banana peel stuck on its head peeked out. He scanned the entire surroundings with his thick foggy glasses before opening the entire cover of the dumpster.

He ran a hand through his messy black hair. "Damn it. This is the tenth time this morning. Now I have to go home again and take a shower."

"Whoeee… did someone retch their guts out on you? You don't need a shower. I think a nice long bath would suit you."

He whirled his head towards the direction of the voice. A smirk went through his face. "Instead of insulting my state of uncleanliness, why don't you guys help me out of this junkster?"

"No way! You stink, Suke!" the blond's brown haired companion stepped back jokingly. "You'll spill your dirty guts on my clothes! I don't want my popularity to go down by zero!" He rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Naruto's right. You really need drum loads of water to remove those filth in your clothes, nerdy."

"If you weren't a girl, I would've pulled you in here, Ten Ten."

"I'm a tomboy in case you didn't notice, Suke! Want me to dunk your head in the dumpster?"

The blond gave a smirk. "No can do. But since you desperately need us then we're glad to help you." He and Ten Ten grabbed each of the raven-haired boy's arms then hauled him out of the trash dump. After closing the dumpster shut, they teased their friend by pinching their noses.

"Eewww…"

"Quit it. Give me a ride, Naruto. We're cutting class. I'm already stinkin' flies here," the poor guy retorted, also pinching his nose. He was also aware of the offending smell seeping out from his clothes. Naruto and Ten Ten laughed at his remark.

"Sure, sure, Suke. As you wish."

* * *

Back in the physical education building, Sakura waited patiently for Neji to come out of the boys' locker room. She was still hesitating if she would pass her cheerleading application or not. Well, if her plan goes well, she will be a cheerleader and then Neji would be very happy. They would spend lots of times together.

"Thinking about something?"

She broke out of her thoughts when she saw the handsome face of her boyfriend hovering a few inches away from her. She smiled. "I was just thinking about you, Neji – kun."

"Lucky me." Neji sat down next to her and gave her a kiss on her cheek. He noticed a sheet of paper held tightly in her hand. "What are you holding?" he asked, pulling the paper away from her hand. He opened it then scanned its contents.

"You're going to try out for cheerleading, Saku – chan?"

His girlfriend flushed beneath his gaze. "I… yes. I want to try cheerleading for a change."

"You don't need cheerleading, Saku – chan. You are one of the most beautiful girls here in school. You don't need to impress me," Neji replied huskily in her ear. Sakura blushed deeper when he wrapped his arms around her.

"Neji – kun…"

He tilted her chin upwards and was about to kiss her when something offending reached past their nostrils. They instantly jerked away from each other as they tried to find the offending substance that totally destroyed their romantic mood.

"Eeww… what is that offending smell?" Sakura asked, pinching her nose in disgust.

Neji looked around then a smirk settled on his face as he watched a certain someone with banana peels and waste clinging to his body and walking towards the exit of the school, with two people trailing behind him. "I think someone was thrown into the dumpster again."

"Who? The 'nerd'?" she asked.

"Yep. The nerd. I wonder when will he ever stop attending this school. The guys are out there tackling him just like a fish in their water. Even though he's already in senior year he's still a dork," Neji replied.

Sakura nodded in agreement. As much as she felt pity on the poor guy, who was she to disagree on her boyfriend's notion? They might start on another argument again if she will defend the nerd. Even though she didn't know anything about the poor guy.

Neji stood up from the bleachers and grabbed Sakura's school bag. He slung it over his shoulder then turned to her. "Ready?"

"Ready!" Sakura chimed in, lacing her fingers through his as they walked towards the outside of the physical education building hand in hand. Well, despite those simple things, she was still happy because she was leaving high school with a fantastic life, a fantastic boyfriend and a fantastic reputation.

* * *

BAM!

"Geez, you don't need to be mad at me, you bastard! I know that I drive bad but you don't need to knock me out with your fist!"

The raven-haired teenager walked towards the living room, the scent of the wastes from the dumpster permeating the whole room. A young man of about twenties entered the room, a hand flapping above his face in attempts of fanning away the scent. "What is that offending smell?"

"None of your business." The boy entered his room at the far end of the hall and slammed the door shut. Naruto and Ten Ten greeted the older man with a smirk on their faces.

Naruto raised a hand in greeting. "Yo! Itachi – san!"

Itachi returned his greeting with a nod. Ten Ten snickered while Naruto kept a smirk pasted on his face. The older man looked at them, curiosity shown in his dark orbs. "Is there something that you wished to tell me?"

Naruto still smirked. "He got dumped in the trash pile for the tenth time, Itachi – san."

Itachi gave a snort. "Tsk. Figures. I should've known that this would happen. That stupid little brother of mine."

"He really likes to make things complicated, Itachi – san! We already gave him warnings since the first day of junior high school. He's just too bullheaded," Naruto snickered. Ten Ten gave a giggle next to him.

They heard the faucet being turned shut and they heard the bathroom door open. Itachi craned his neck towards the direction of the room, a knowing smirk still on his face. "Looks like he's done. Why don't you guys crash inside his bunk while I dial the pizza boy? Looks like he's going to have a lot of explaining to do after his biggest feat at school."

Naruto returned his smirk with another. He motioned for Ten Ten to follow him. "You betcha. Let's go, T."

"Right on! Thanks for your time, Itachi – san!" Ten Ten said then dashed towards their friend's room in a hurry.

Itachi gave a sigh as he went towards the phone at the other end of the hall.

* * *

"Chill it dude! We know you're mad and all so why don't you just do something? You could easily crumple those guys with just your fist!" Naruto commented as he watched their friend clad only in his boxers and rummaging inside his closet for a change of clothes.

Ten Ten gave a sigh as she plopped down in his neatly made bed. "Honestly, up until now we still don't understand why you're doing this. You could easily quit this charade and revert to your usual self. You're not really a 'geek' in the first place you know, S-A-S-U-K-E."

"I can't go back to who I was before, T." Sasuke pulled out a black T-shirt from his closet then slammed it shut. He slung it over his shoulder all the while running his hands through his raven hair. His hair reverted back to its spiky appearance unlike the slicked back ponytail he wore at school. He threw his glasses on his dresser and glared at the mirror next to his closet.

"Yeah, Sasuke! You have the looks, the bod, everything a bloody warm woman would ever wanted to in a guy!" Naruto gave another lazy smile as he playfully tackled Ten Ten who was sitting in bed. Ten Ten gave a loud shriek as she elbowed Naruto in the ribs then tumbled him onto his back so that she was above him.

"Itai! That hurts, T!"

"That should teach you not to mess with a woman jackass!"

"So you do admit that you're a chick, T?"

"Never! Asshole!"

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck idly. "Yeah, yeah whatever. Quit it you jerkasses, you're messing my bed."

They stopped wrestling each other. Ten Ten gave a playful punch in Naruto's stomach then removed herself above him. Naruto sat up, wincing in pain. "Itai… I need to go to the hospital," he finally blurted out. "You won T. I don't believe this!"

Ten Ten on the other hand, cracked her knuckles. "You got that right!"

Sasuke sat on his chair next to the computer. "You guys are so violent."

"Yeah! Look who's talking right here!" Ten Ten stood up from the bed and approached Sasuke, poking him not so gently on the chest. "You're the only one we're waiting to come out of your shell, Sasuke! Living the life of a jerk is so pitiful. Why choose to live it when your life was already good from the beginning?" she asked.

Sasuke shrugged. "I just like to. No need to scold me like an old lady, T."

"I'm not old, dammit!"

"Chill it. Jeez, T. You are so uptight these days. Don't tell me it's that time of the month!" Naruto asked from the bed.

"No it's not that time of the month! Now you're gonna get it, foxface!" Ten Ten yelled like a banshee, leaping towards Naruto to beat him again. Sasuke gave a sigh as he rubbed his head again then without word leapt toward them to join in the fun.

"All right, you guys. Pizza's here," Itachi said as he opened the door to Sasuke room and peeked inside.

* * *

Nighttime came and Naruto and Ten Ten left after dinner. Itachi crossed his arms as he watched his brother sitting on the couch at the living room flipping channels from the remote. Sasuke didn't look at him but he knew that he was being watched.

"You don't need to stare at me like that. I'm not going to melt from that laser – like eyes of yours."

"Tough. They told me about what happened to you at school, otouto."

Sasuke sighed as he sank back in the couch. Itachi approached him and sat on the opposite side. He regarded his older brother with a dark look. "I guess they will eventually tell you sooner or later. Yeah, I ended up in the dumpster for the tenth time because some guys were chasing me to do their pathetic homework. Happy now?"

Itachi poked him at the forehead. "You're really a foolish little brother. You could just punch them in the guts and make them sorry they hurt you. Didn't chichi taught you the lessons in self – defense?"

"Right he did. I just don't want to."

"You're so pathetic. Like Ten Ten had said before, you're not really a dorky nerd. Nothing will come out of your charade, Sasuke."

"You're contradicting me in whatever I say." Sasuke stood up from the couch and leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms in mock antipathy. "As much as I respect you, 'nisan, you don't need to tell me what to do."

"Not really." Itachi leaned back in his seat then sighed. "After being in the correctional facility for five years, I highly doubt you would ever respect me."

Sasuke gave a smile. "Even if you stayed there for a lifetime, my respect for you remains the same."

His older brother only shrugged. "Whatever."

Content in his brother's answer, Sasuke was about to retreat to his room when he heard his brother's voice from the living room. "Tomorrow we'll be going back to the house to visit chichi and haha. Some sort of a reunion party."

"As if that would even matter to me," Sasuke retorted then slammed his door shut. Itachi smirked at his brother's hot – bloodedness. Particularly at his reaction when he told him that they will be visiting their parents tomorrow.

Sasuke hated going back to their childhood home.

And Sasuke hated their parents from the very beginning.

* * *

A/N: Yeah! Chapter Two done! And I decided to make Itachi pretty nice here. He really needs to take a break from being a villain. You all agree with me, right? Yeah, Naruto and Ten Ten are Sasuke's friends. They're quite a violent bunch but that's okay. Oh, and Sakura and Neji are an item here. Next stop, Chapter Three: The Reunion.

Replies to the reviews:

**Essiej** – wow! Arigatou gozaimashita! I'll do my best in the next few chapters!

**Tishu** – well, here's the answer to your questions:

Well, I think he's 18 or 19. It's a bit different in Japan though…

Pairings, well… I have to think about it!

Update? Well I'm updating now!

**Koharu kage** – thanks for your review! And arigatou, it is a new concept; I'm still thinking of what romance to put in this story.

**Khaz** – well, yes! Sasuke is a nerd here! And like you said, I will continue!

**Sportiegrl** – well, I 'intentionally' made him a geek. Thanks for the review!

**Narutofan4ever** – thanks for finding it interesting! See you in the next chapter!

**Inuyashafangirl333** – yeah, I agree, he's a poor nerd. But things will run smoothly for him in the next chapters. I hope. Thanks for the review! Oh, I don't have any rice… I ate it all!

**Aria's star** – thanks for the review! Yeah, his personality is waayyy… different, I'm surprised that you get to see yourself in him. Oh, and don't need to beg! I'm updating! I'm updating already!

**Itchinhi** – thanks for the review! I didn't know that this one is original!

**InuyashaHELP** – waahhhh! Please don't hurt me! I'll give you the names of those bullies instead! Anyways, thanks you for the review!


	3. The Reunion!

Disclaimer: I really don't own Naruto. Again.

A/N: well, here goes the next chapter. made it long, so hope you guys enjoy this.

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Chapter Three: The Reunion

* * *

_Bring! Bring!_

"Okay class! You're all dismissed! Don't forget to do your homework!" Umino Iruka, the physics teacher ordered as he fixed his things then strode outside the room. The class gave a strangled excuse of a moan as they put their things inside their bag.

In the farthest corner of the room, Sasuke was about to stand up from his desk when a huge group of people surrounded his little 'sanctuary'. He pushed his foggy glasses close to his eyes edgily as he muttered a tiny, "What?"

The leader of the pack, a huge guy by the name of Akimichi Chouji walked forward towards him, a thick notebook dangling in his hand. "You… nerd boy… do Iruka – sensei's homework for us!"

"What? N – No…! I can't possibly do all of those in just one night!" he protested, though he already expected that it would fall into deaf ears. Chouji gave a snort --- a crossover of a lion and a boar. He immediately yanked Sasuke by his collar and lifted his body several inches off the ground. Their faces were only a mere inches, Sasuke had to tilt his head away from Chouji. He could smell the spicy burrito the fat boy had eaten during recess.

"You listen and listen good, nerd boy. If you don't want us to dunk your scruffy head in the toilet bowl again, you better follow what we say, you dig?" Chouji said, his expression somewhat also a crossover of a pig and a sumo champion.

"H – Hai! Yes, sir!" Sasuke answered right away. He really didn't want to go back to the bathroom. Not yet.

Satisfied, Chouji let go of Sasuke's collar. The poor guy dropped instantaneously down to the floor with a loud crash. The boys standing behind Chouji stepped forward, dropping their own notebooks on Sasuke's still sprawled body, smirking that they got someone to do their homework for them.

"All right! Let's go play football guys!" Chouji announced, raising his fist in the air. The boys roared "Yeah!" then dashed like mad pigs out of the room, leaving Sasuke behind and drowning in ten inches thick piles of notebooks. The poor boy finally pulled himself together, adjusting the rim of his glasses close to his nose. He sighed.

"Man, I'm never going to have any rest. Those dweebs stacked me with their paperwork! I have to do this now or else, they wouldn't stop hounding after my ass for the next few days!" Sasuke muttered as he dumped the notebooks inside his bag then scurried outside the classroom.

And just his dumb luck, he and his brother are going to visit their parents.

TONIGHT.

* * *

Naruto walked towards the direction of the Sasuke's house with Ten Ten in tow. They were talking about Sasuke's little predicament in the cafeteria. Apparently, Sasuke tripped on a milk spill and accidentally dumped the rest of his lunch on top of Akimichi Chouji's, the school's resident bully, bulky head.

After the next few minutes, Naruto and Ten Ten helped Sasuke get his ass off the tree, because Chouji gave him a wedgie and hanged him on top of the highest branch of the Sakura tree for the entire school to see.

"He's really an ass sometimes. He could really beat that Akimichi guy with a flick of his wrist! But no, he decided to endure the fat boy's bullying and enjoyed himself being dangled up the tree by his underwear!" Naruto commented, still laughing from the incident. Ten Ten gave him a dour look.

"Shut your trap, foxface! If Suke hears what you're saying, he'll beat you into a bloody pulp!" she scolded him, bonking him hard in the head.

Naruto yelled an "Ow!" then rubbed his sore head. "Itai! You're so mean, T!"

Ten Ten gave a snort. "Whatever. You blondie, should watch your dirty mouth. Despite Suke's pathetic display of weakness at our school, I can see on his face that he wants to beat all those guys up!"

"Well then, why doesn't he do it? Jeez, T! I've been waiting for ages for Sasuke to order us to beat those guys! I'm too sick of sparring with a wooden dummy for years!" Naruto replied begrudgingly, curling his arms into fists and pretended to jab like a boxer.

Ten Ten shrugged. "Well, he decided to turn into a new leaf."

"Yeah. A dry crusty old leaf! Ha! If only the entire Konoha Academy knew what Sasuke really is, I'm sure, they'll throw themselves down to his feet and beg him to take them as his slaves! Now I want to see that coming!" Naruto grinned evilly. Ten Ten smacked him again, this time, on the arm.

"OW!"

…………

"Sakura! Neji's on the phone!"

"I got it!" Sakura yelled back as she grabbed the cordless phone sitting on her bedside table. She clicked the ON button then pressed the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"

The husky voice replied on the other line. "Hey, Saku – chan."

"Neji – kun. What's the matter?" she asked, albeit thrilled at hearing her boyfriend's voice. Rarely he called.

"I was wondering if you could come with me tonight."

"Well I… where are we going?" Sakura asked again. Neji was asking her out on a date. She smiled. He's so considerate; he had never need to ask.

"To my friend's house. I was invited to come over. They told me to bring you along with me, saying they wanted to meet you."

Sakura's heart began to pound. Her voice became a bit quieter when she responded to her caller in the other line. "C – Can I bring Ino – chan with us?"

She could hear her boyfriend sigh noisily in the other line. Then a laugh followed. "Saku – chan, how are we going to spend time with each other if your 'friend' is coming with us and spoil our fun? And besides, after I introduce you to the guys, we'll leave right away. There's nothing there for you to be afraid of."

She didn't answer. Her hand was shaking.

"Saku – chan… don't you trust me?"

Of course she trusted him. Since there was nothing wrong with his offer, why would she refuse? And besides, having Ino along, it would really put a disturbance in their quality time together.

Besides nothing's going to end up wrong, right?

Right?

Sighing, she smiled then gripped her phone tight.

"All right. Count me in."

* * *

Uchiha Itachi cringed when he saw his brother's get up. For the past five years of spending time in the correctional facility and spending his next four years living with his younger brother, never had he seen someone with poor taste in clothes.

Especially if the idiot he called brother was a number one dupe in gauche fashion.

This was the last straw.

"No, no, no, no. You're not going to wear those and that dorky contraption you called glasses! What will chichi and haha say? That I didn't take good care of you in these past years? Remove those!" he ordered as he yanked the three inches thick foggy eyewear off Sasuke's face. His younger brother gave a snort as he made a quick look at his tasteless attire.

A gauntly bright orange pressed button down shirt and red and white-checkered pants.

Itachi swore that the person he saw right after its birth was different from the one who's currently dressed like a clown in front of him was his brother. He would've bet a thousand yen if that were proven.

Sasuke crossed his arms. His slicked back, thoroughly combed hair was pulled back into a ponytail rested quietly on his shoulder. "I don't want them to fawn all over me like a sick person, 'nisan. I don't want to hear their praises and their fake approvals. Leave it as it is."

Itachi poked his brother's forehead in irritation. "Foolish little brother. I didn't ask you to make an impression. I want you to dress like a normal being for once. As in once." When Sasuke didn't even make a move except to glare at his brother, he flashed his bloodshot eyes at him.

"Shed off those dorky clothes and put something more decent! Right now!"

"Hai. As you wish, Itachi – nisan," Sasuke muttered under his breath as he stomped back to his room to change his clothes.

Itachi gave a loud 'hmph' as he walked back to their living room and slouch on the couch. He was beginning to suffer from an onset of headache if he'll ever see that set of clothes Sasuke was wearing earlier. He'll grab a pair of scissors and snip those clothes off into shreds and burn them mercilessly.

A loud knock jolted him from his thoughts. Cursing, he stood up then went to the door and opened it swiftly. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth when he saw none other than Ten Ten and Naruto standing outside his door.

"Yo," he greeted.

Naruto raised a hand in greeting. "Yo, Itachi – san! Ready to crash your parents' joint? By the way, is Sasuke ready?"

Itachi pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing wryly. "I ordered him to go back in his room and change. His get up earlier was so traumatizing, he didn't even realize that an orange shirt with red and white checkered pants never mixed. My retinas were burned by the brightness as a result."

Ten Ten gave a smirk. "Looks like little Suke needs a lesson in fashion sense."

"Doubt it."

* * *

Few minutes later, Sasuke came out of his room. He was now wearing a black long – sleeved button down shirt with matching black slacks. However, he still wore his hair in its customary ponytail. Itachi raised a brow.

"The ponytail. Remove it."

"What? No way!"

"Remove it, **ototou**."

Sasuke yanked the hair accessory off his head. His raven strands reverted back to its spiky state. He was also about to put his glasses on when Itachi grabbed them from his hand and tucked it inside his pocket.

"What the hell? 'Nisan! Give me back my glasses!"

Itachi gave a dark smirk. "You sure you know as hell we do that you never really need this, ototou."

"Shut it, 'nisan. I can't see without them."

"Right. Let's go. Naruto and Ten Ten are waiting," Itachi replied flatly as he pushed his brother out of the house and proceeded to lock their front door. Sasuke cursed under his breath as he trudged towards Naruto's car. Yanking the door open and slamming it shut, he slid at the back seat next to Ten Ten.

Naruto gave a loud hoot in the driver's seat. "Lookin' good, Sasuke bastard! Looks like you got an ultimatum from Itachi – san in order for you to wear something more humanly!"

Instead of answering, Sasuke gave him a glare. Naruto continued to snicker even when Itachi finally settled down in the front seat. Few seconds later, they heard the rumbling of an engine and then the car sped off, heading towards the direction of the Uchiha mansion located at the farther side of town.

* * *

On the road, Itachi leaned back on the front seat, thinking of the possible events that might happen at their ancestral home. He stole a glance at his younger brother from the mirror and his eyebrow twitched up when he saw Sasuke attempting to open the car door and jump out.

_Damn. How could he stand being an idiot sometimes?_

"Even if you commit suicide ototou, we're still going to grab your butt and save you, you know," he said rather coolly. He could hear Ten Ten giggling behind him and his brother's irritated 'hmph'. Naruto snickered loudly in the driver's seat.

Sasuke crossed his arms and pouted like a little boy. "Okay cut it out. You jerks can stop laughing now."

Ten Ten was the first to stop giggling. She gave Sasuke a smile. "Har – har. But, honestly Suke, you kinda look good in that black threads of yours.

"You sure are really acting weird again, T. Are you reverting back to your feminine haunches?" Sasuke teased with a smirk on his lips.

A loud OW! could be heard inside the car as Ten Ten relentlessly punched Sasuke on his nose.

* * *

In the Uchiha mansion, there was a party being held at its vast gardens. Lanterns were lit and hanging above the trees, illuminating the entire garden. Fountains were filled with water and cascading dramatically in its landscape scenery.

There was also a buffet table filled with scrumptious food --- from appetizers, to main courses then finally to desserts. Everything was prepared in grandeur, as if this night was thoroughly planned.

Inside, the Uchiha patriarch and his wife were busy greeting guests in the living room. Their guests were composed of the rich and famous --- all the members from the aristocratic society. Even the richest business tycoon in the land, Tsunade, who was the fifth Hokage of Konoha Industries, came to attend the party.

"It's a great honor that you graced us with your presence, Tsunade – hime," Uchiha Fugaku revered, taking the young – looking Hokage's hand with his and kissed it. His wife Mikoto also bowed to the Hokage with a smile on her lips.

Tsunade gave a laugh. "Oh that's perfectly all right, Fugaku – kun. I've always been thinking of visiting your home sooner, I'm just too busy with the company's board meetings."

The Uchiha patriarch smirked. "We understand, Tsunade – hime."

"My husband told me that your company's the one leading among the Five Shinobi Countries. Your dedication and hard work fueled your success, Tsunade – sama," Mikoto commented humbly.

"Why thank you for such a wonderful compliment."

"Allow me to take you outside the garden for refreshments, Tsunade – hime." Fugaku then escorted Tsunade outside the garden. Mikoto watched her husband's retreating back, smiling that he might get the promotion soon.

…………

"Okay we're here. Time to get out of the car, ototou."

Sasuke gave a loud 'hmph' as he opened the car door and stepped outside. Itachi gave one last check on his younger brother's attire, noting any creases or anything bright and orange. The last thing he needed was their pride zeroing down to the abyss. Or worse, their parents might send Sasuke to the correctional facility because of his insensible taste in clothes.

"Can I just have the glasses, 'Nisan?" Sasuke asked, a bit too sweet for his brother's liking.

Itachi poked him on the forehead. "No. And for the last time I want you to shed off those dorkiness of yours. Now that we're about to see chichi and haha, I want you to **perfectly** play the part of an aristocrat's son. Got it?"

Sasuke crossed his arms. "You don't need to tell me everything. I got it."

Naruto bobbed up and down on his feet. "Well, can we go inside? I'm hungry! I sure wished that your parents have the chef whip up some ramen, Suke!"

Ten Ten rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Are you dumb? Of course not! They're rich dudes, Naruto! The chef would not whip up some cheap food like that for their guests you know! He might get creamed by Mikoto – 'basan!"

"But I still sure wish there's ramen."

Sasuke bonked his blond teammate on his head. "As if Teuchi would allow himself to cook something like that. There are lots of preferences in the buffet table. Try to eat something healthy will ya?"

"Yeah, a stinky scallop stuck in bread and those funky little fishies stuck in cocktail glasses are considered your choice of healthy food, Suke!" Naruto retorted.

Sasuke sighed. "The little fishies are called anchovies for crying out loud, dobe. And the scallop thingies are called caviar."

Itachi coughed. "All right, that's enough. We're wasting a lot of time arguing here outside. Let's go."

"Right! Ramen for me!" Naruto yelled happily as he followed Itachi towards the main gate. Ten Ten followed, her giggles covered by her hand. Sasuke swept a hand through his ebony spikes as he glared at the splendor of his parents' home.

_There's nothing inside there but a whole lot of freaks._

_I will just be wasting my time here._

_Damn it, and I still have homework to do._

_A whole lot of homework._

Sighing, he slapped a palm across his forehead. Few minutes later, his whole countenance changed. His onyx eyes were dull and held a measuring gaze and his posture was rigid. He gave his spiky hair one last sweep then trudged quietly to his ancestral home, glaring at the guard stationed at their gate.

_Yep. Everything will be all right._

_Sure do._

…………

"Itachi! I'm so happy to see you," Mikoto greeted her oldest son when he stepped inside the living room. She gave him a brief hug, which in turn he accepted then gave a pat on his mother's shoulder. She pulled away from him with a few tears misting her eyes. "How've you been doing? It's been so long!"

"Hai. Four years. How's Chichi doing?"

Mikoto's face fell. "Your father is still disappointed when you left but that's no longer the problem. He's working hard to make the Konoha Industries his next joint partner."

Itachi's cool demeanor remained firm. "I see. And the other problem?"

"That's what we're going to decide for tonight."

Satisfied, Itachi stepped away from his mother to make way for Naruto and Ten Ten. Naruto jumped to Mikoto, hugging her fiercely. "Mikoto – 'basan! I missed you so much!"

Mikoto ruffled the blond kid's hair playfully. "You're still the same as ever, Naruto – kun. Don't worry, I ordered Teuchi to cook you your favorite pork ramen. I believe that it's now waiting for you right in the kitchen."

"Yes! Ramen here I come! Let's go, T!"

"Hai, whatever," Ten Ten sighed as she followed Naruto towards the direction of the kitchen. The boy was practically floating.

Itachi excused himself from his mother, saying that he would need to talk with his father. Mikoto heaved a sigh then her onyx eyes spotted another set of eyes like hers that was standing painstakingly from the doorway. And apparently had not been glancing from her direction. She decided to make the first step to her youngest son.

"Sasuke."

…………

Sasuke's body jerked when he heard a familiar voice called. He fixed a poor imitation of a smile on his face as he turned his head to meet his mother smiling at him. He didn't like it. Usually that smile meant something.

"Okaasan."

Mikoto's smile began to waver. She still hugged her son, despite the fact that his body was so stiff and straight like a post. "Sasuke. I thought that you would never step foot inside this house again. You have been missed."

"I'm sure Otousan doesn't feel the same way."

His mother frowned at his choice of words. "You're absolutely mistaken, Sasuke. Now that you're about to end your term in high school, Otousan's been setting up plans for your future and for Itachi's as well."

Sasuke gave his mother a pat --- similar to what Itachi had done earlier. "Even if he does that, I'm still not going back to this hellish asylum. He only wasted his time for nothing, Okaasan." He straightened his clothes then gave his mother a smirk. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and crash Otousan's party."

Mikoto did not say a word as she watched her son leave her. Just like what he and Itachi did to her four years ago.

"Ramen! Ramen! Ramen for me," Naruto sang as he slurped his tenth bowl of ramen. Ten Ten rolled her eyes as she automatically handed another bowl to him.

"Jeez, foxface! Don't you get sick from eating all of these? I'm starting to puke just by seeing you eat!" she commented wryly.

"Well, don't blame me! This is my favorite food in the entire world! You mess with my ramen, you mess with me!"

Instead of answering, Ten Ten continued to survey the living room from her vantage point when something caught her attention. She yanked Naruto by the hair and craning his face, focusing his attention to the one she was seeing. "Foxface! Look at that! Is that what I think it is!"

Naruto burbled and choked on his ramen. He grabbed a glass of water and downed it in one gulp. "Yeah! Oh no! This doesn't look good!"

"Should we go and warn Suke?"

"Nah! Let him be! Besides, it'll be fun!" Naruto replied as he decided to put his attention back to his ramen. Ten Ten huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms.

…………

Back to the party…

Sasuke gave a resounding huff as he leaned back against the Cherry blossom tree, separating him from the ongoing party. When he was young, he used to play around this tree, but that was nothing more but a distant memory. He closed his eyes and was about to sleep when a finger poked him again on the forehead.

"What the fuck? 'Nisan, what do you want?" he growled, rubbing his sore forehead.

Itachi gave him a drink. "Here."

The younger Uchiha eyed the dark murky liquid with distaste. "What is this?"

"Scotch."

"Nani? I don't drink this kind of stuff. Bring me another."

"Pfftt. Are you dumb, Sasuke? This is Otousan's party. There's no juice and no water served in the beverage trays. Are you following the South Beach diet regimen again?" Itachi asked wryly.

Sasuke's cheeks tinged pink. "What… no! Of course not! I just don't drink alcoholic stuff! I just thought that there might be… uh… tea or something."

Now Itachi was already having doubts about his brother's personality. "You're not a girl, Sasuke. You're an Uchiha for Yondaime's sake. Since you're reaching twenties, I suggest you take a stand and be a man. For starters, drinking a man's drink."

Sasuke still eyed the offending liquid. He pinched his nose at the strong odor. "I… I still won't drink it."

"Do you want me to chug it down your throat?"

"No! I'll drink it! Just leave me alone!" Sasuke muttered as he grasped the cup firmly and strode away from his brother. Itachi watched him with a smug smirk, knowing that his younger brother would drink it then puke or simply dump it in the plants.

He chose the first option.

"Neji – kun, nice of you to visit us," Fugaku greeted the brown – haired boy in front of him. He accepted the boy's firm handshake. "I see that things are running smoothly in Hiashi's branch, am I right?"

Neji gave a curt nod. "Yes. As a matter of fact, he would be very glad to work with you again this season, Uchiha – san."

"Likewise." Fugaku then averted his gaze to the petal – haired girl next to him. "And this beautiful lady would be…"

"My girlfriend. Her name is Sakura."

Sakura blushed. Neji had just introduced her to one of the most powerful men in Konoha. She didn't have any idea that her boyfriend had somewhat a connection to rich and powerful people. And for the person she was introduced to, she knew him from the numerous articles in magazines and newspapers.

Uchiha Fugaku.

He was the sole patriarch of the worldly renowned Uchiha Industries. One of Konoha's biggest shipping companies. His wife, Mikoto was a famous Broadway actress and was the idol of Konoha's current star Fujikaze Yukie.

And also, the couple had two gorgeous sons; one of them was rumored to be a drug addict and has already finished his rehabilitation. The second one was a pin – up idol and was rated number one in Konoha's hottest men. Some say, that the youngest son even traveled abroad just to continue his studies.

"Lucky them," Sakura said to herself. The girls they will eventually end up with will also be lucky as well.

Fugaku gave them one last smile as he ushered them forward to the buffet. "Well then, help yourselves to the food. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

Neji gave the patriarch a smile. "We will, Uchiha – san."

When Fugaku turned his back on them and entertain the other guests, Neji pulled Sakura to the other side of the garden. Sakura was a bit confused at her boyfriend's sudden forwardness.

"Neji – kun? Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Don't stray too far from this place, all right?" Neji gripped the girl's upper arm so hard that Sakura inwardly flinched. "Promise me, Sakura."

Still confused, Sakura decided not to go against his wishes. A fight was the very last thing that came to her mind. She nodded slowly and Neji began to give her a small smirk. But she was still uncertain. She had a feeling that Neji will leave her. "But where are you going?"

"Don't worry Saku – chan. We won't stay here that long. I'm just going to meet with some old friends. I'll be right back," he added. Giving her a light kiss on the cheek, he turned his back on her and headed back to the mansion.

Rubbing her now reddening arm, Sakura sighed. Now that was weird. Neji was showing a sudden display of possessiveness? That was the first time he showed a sense of security to her. But he left her here in the garden to meet with his friends.

"Does this mean I'm not allowed to talk to anyone?" she mumbled, more to herself.

A scent of something good filled her nostrils. Well, if Neji didn't want her to interact with people, then interacting with food would be much better. Sakura smiled to herself as she made a bee – line for the buffet table. At least the food would serve as an excellent companion.

For her.

…………

"Itachi – san! Now this is a surprise."

Itachi did not even bother to turn his head to face the owner of the voice. The person purposely made his way towards him and was now dangerously close to his point of view. A few inches in fact.

Now ain't he lucky. "You're that Hyuuga brat. What do you want?"

Neji gave a loud laugh. "Ha! You're so funny, Itachi – san. I never knew you had such a weird sense of humor."

Itachi raised a brow at that statement. The kid was driving him nuts. Well, not as much like his brother but still annoying just the same. "Not as weird as yours I believe."

"Well, that's a fact I know I can't change. Anyway, don't tell me that you came here to your parents' reunion alone. Where's your baby brother?" the Hyuuga kid asked, a smile pasted on his lips.

Good thing he learned about the principles of "Patience is a virtue" and restraint at the correctional facility. Or else his five years of spending there would end up being a complete waste. Itachi gave Neji a sardonic smile. "I believe my baby brother went tottering off somewhere."

"Where? To go potty?" the brown – haired boy taunted.

The older Uchiha was about to lose his cool and strangle the pretty boy's face when a voice halted him from doing so.

"YO! HYUUGA! STILL ROTTEN AS IT SEEMS!"

Neji glared at Naruto who was sauntering towards them. Itachi wringed his hands and made a move to distance himself away from the Hyuuga kid. He already had his hands full in that single night. Adding more tension would cause him a week long of headache.

* * *

Back to Naruto…

"You're looking good, Hyuuga! I'd say the last few years were good to you," Naruto commented though his face was grim. Neji gave him a glare matching his own.

"Still loud as ever, Uzumaki. If I remember correctly, you and your friend were escorting a human trashcan outside of school. I wonder what happened to that poor dork when he utterly fell from your hands?" he replied coolly.

The blond boy stifled a laugh. "The dork lived. So what brings ya here, Pretty Boy? Don't tell me you're here to visit an old chum!"

"An old acquaintance. Since he's not here inside the mansion then I have no choice but to look for him outside," Neji answered curtly, wanting nothing more but to leave the room and away from Naruto. On the other hand, Naruto wanted nothing more but to punch the smug look on Neji's face.

Seeing the Hyuuga's back retreating from his line of vision, Naruto crossed his arms and smirked. So he hasn't crossed paths with him yet. Hoo – boy. This would be a shocking reunion for them both.

_Speaking of which, where the heck is Sasuke anyway?

* * *

_

In the shadowy part of the garden, a figure crouched down behind the bushes. He was grasping a potted plant and was making loud retching sounds. The retching continued for several minutes until the figure slumped down next to the plant, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead.

"I'll never drink that stuff again," Sasuke said to himself over and over again. Damn him, he should've just dump that stupid liquor on the plants. But no, he decided to try it out himself because of his brother's extreme damage to his ego.

But still, tea is much more tastier than Scotch… 

"Whatever, I have to get back to that stupid party. Yank Naruto's ass and force him to drive me back home. I have to finish those football guys' homework," he said again to himself as he began to wobble his way out of the grassy area. Rubbing his head wryly, he began to contemplate.

"_You're absolutely mistaken, Sasuke. Now that you're about to end your term in high school, Otousan's been setting up plans for your future and for Itachi's as well."_

"That's where you're wrong, Okaasan. Otousan never once showed care for me and 'Nisan. He only wants to flourish his damn company," he muttered when he remembered what his mother's words said to him earlier. The Uchiha reputation was much more important than the family itself. If he could remember correctly, he and Itachi rebelled in order to go against their father's ways.

Which is why they never showed up in the Uchiha mansion for four years.

Well, before that, Itachi was sent to the correctional facility because of his drug addiction. And five years later, he went back to the mansion and took his younger brother with him. Reason? Well, he didn't want his ototou to end up a string puppet to their father's own pleasure. Since then, they resorted to living independently in the suburbs of Konoha, and they were happy that way.

As for him? Well, their parents though that he was studying in the Country of Sand at the exclusive school they had planned just for him. Sasuke chuckled. One thing they didn't know was that he snuck an enrollment at Konoha Academy. But in order for him to blend well in the crowd at school, he had to change his appearance.

Yep. Enter the nerd geekazoid freak named Suke.

Well, at least he was not being fawned over. Instead, bullies hunted him down. One thing he didn't know was that nerds were the lowest form of human beings at school. But that was fine for him. At least he wasn't being bothered.

Unless when bullies decided to make a prank on him.

Sasuke was getting close to the party when someone collided with him, sending them both tumbling down the ground. He gave a low groan as he rubbed his back. "Itai… what's the big idea, huh?" he ranted; obviously he was not in the mood for foolish guessing games. He had enough problems for the night, thank you.

Or maybe it was his brother deciding to sneak up on him again.

"Oh I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going…" the person who bumped him apologized.

Well he was angry. Who wants to mess with an Uchiha in his own territory anyway?

Unless it was his own brother of course.

And it was weird because his brother had the nerve to apologize to him.

"You'd better be. And if I'm not mistaken, you're drunk which is why you're now developing a habit of bumping into people," he retorted, forcing himself to stand up.

Instead of dwelling on his anger much longer, he offered a hand to his brother, the perpetrator. The person accepted his hand and his brow twitched up.

_Wait a minute; does 'Nisan have very soft hands?_

_Was he using lotion?_

_No, wait a second, 'Nisan's hand wasn't suppose to be this small._

_He was never even wearing green nail polish to begin with! _

_His was purple!_

_But…_

He heard a giggle.

Wait a second… 

As if on cue, the moonlight suddenly spilled on them, bathing them with its translucent glow. Sasuke's eyes went twice its size as he finally able to scrutinize the person he though to be his brother.

Now he knew.

His brother never had jade green eyes to begin with.

And certainly not a pink hair.

And the worst part of it, his brother was not a girl!

"EEEEEEYYYYYYYAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

A/N: Well, that's not certainly the half of it. Poor Sasuke, his first encounter with an opposite sex was brought him major psychological trauma!… hee… hee… And Itachi is having problems about Sasuke's uh... geekiness. Oh well!Pairings? Oops...too bad because I'm not yet deciding on any pairings yet! I have to leave you hanging again!

**Next Chapter**: Oh no! WTF!

Now for the replies to the reviews:

**Narutofan4ever** – thanks again for another review! Expect a lot more fun in the next chapter! Feel free to ask or give some ideas! I deeply appreciate it!

**Akire11** – well… I couldn't blame you; the first chap was really…uh… weird? Anyways, I'm glad you liked it. And I'm very happy that you forgive me! I'm still freaked out that I received a flame! My first time! I'll do my best not to bring any knid of trauma to your beloved Sasuke - kun. A little though. Well, expect for a lot more surprises soon! Feel free to ask any questions. Also, if you have some ideas, don't hesitate! I would love to hear from you.

**Koharu Kage** – well, thanks for another review! We'll see about the Sasunaru thing… hehe. I'm not yet deciding on the pairings yet. Sorry, I have to keep you hanging…hehe.

**InuyashaHELP** – Well, I revealed the first bully. I think you'll have to create a list since there are lots of bullies in my story that beats up Sasuke. Waahhh! Don't kill me please! I'll be good! Thanks for another review! Suggestions anyone? I desperately need it!

**Essiej** – well, yep he's pretending. But he's still a nerd… and he will really drive you readers mad! Thanks for another review! Feel free to ask! I would really reaaly love to hear from you!

**Saki – kun** – Wow! Thank you for that awesome comment! I thought that I would get flamed again, but oh well… I understand that Sasuke is a 'cool' guy, so it's kinda weird he became… like that. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me! Just don't wring my neck ok? Oh, and if you have some ideas about adding more humor, then that's okay with me!

**Aria's star** – yes! Another Itachi supporter! I'm glad you agree with me! Yep, he's a silent type of nerd. Thanks for another AWESOME review! Maybe you can help me more in Sasuke's personality. Just asking!

**Tishu** – yep! Thanks for another review! Feel free to ask questions or probably give some suggestions! I'm quite hungry for ideas right now! And for the pairings, I'm still undecided yet! What should I do?


	4. Oh no! WTF!

Disclaimer: Nope. Do not own Naruto.

A/N: Hmm… I would like to thank Aria's star for giving me a very important tip! And also, thank you for the people who gave reviews on the previous chap. Here's the next one. Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter Four: Oh no! WTF!

* * *

"EEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He screamed. Yep, he did.

His scream was high – pitched, an equivalent to the scream that girls have.

He couldn't believe it.

He was capable of producing a girly scream.

And to add it all, his scream echoed throughout the garden, scaring the night creatures lurking in the shadows. A poor cockroach had to creep away from him looking desperately for shelter. An owl made loud whooooinng sounds.

No one could blame him.

He was too tense.

His brother… his brother turned into a ghost!

An **exceptionally** girl ghost!

Unfortunately, the girl whose hand he was holding cocked her head to one side. Realizing that he was still holding it, he dropped it immediately as if it was hot. The person in front of him moved closer to him, curiosity shining in her eyes.

Jeez, he was freaking out. "D – Don't come any closer!"

"Why not?" she asked.

"Y – you're…" the boy took a few steps backwards.

The girl, who was a bit unmoved by his sudden display of fear decided to move closer. "I'm…?"

"A GHOST!" The boy dashed madly away from her heading towards the deeper recesses of the garden.

Still stunned, the girl scratched her head.

A ghost?

Who?

Her?

"What… was that all about?" Sakura asked herself. Apparently, that boy she encountered earlier was weird. She was mistaken for a ghost. It was too bad that she didn't get to take a second look at the boy who suddenly ran away before she even get a chance to know his name.

"It must be the clothes." Sakura fingered the hem of her simple white dress. She was wearing white all over. "Poor guy, he really must be drunk in order for him to hallucinate like that."

She started to head back to the party. Her thoughts were still filled about the strange guy she surprisingly met moments ago. "No, I should not think of him. Neji might get angry if he finds out that I met someone he didn't know." She then began to run, despite the fact that she was wearing stilettos.

And besides Neji might be looking all over for her.

* * *

Itachi finished his fifth glass of scotch when he heard the sound of footsteps prancing madly towards his direction. To cover up his amusement, he made a straight face as he made his way towards his panting brother. He regarded him with a questioning look.

"Sasuke. Where in the heck have you run off? I've searched the entire house looking for you."

Sasuke gulped in huge amounts of air. His face was contorted into an expression of shock, Itachi could not understand why. His little brother was acting weird. Well, on the other side, he was already weird to begin with.

As the elder brother, he decided to inquire of his brother's object of fear. "Sasuke. What's wrong with you?"

His brother looked at him fearfully. Sasuke grabbed his brother not – so – gently, shaking him by the shoulders. "'Nisan! I'm glad you're okay! I thought… I thought…"

Itachi poked Sasuke on his forehead. "You thought what? Get off me, Sasuke! You're making me doubt about your gender!"

Upon hearing another insult to his ego, Sasuke reverted back to his cold demeanor. Rubbing his forehead, he glared at his brother. "Itai! Why did you poke me on the forehead?"

"Because you were acting like a weak girl."

"I'm not acting like a girl!"

Itachi sighed. "All right, whatever." His onyx eyes slightly widened as he remembered something. "Sou dayo, I saw Hyuuga Neji here at the party. And it seemed like he was looking for you."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "Hyuuga? What the hell is he doing here?"

"Beats me."

Dusting dirt off his clothes, the younger Uchiha gave a long sigh. Of all the worst people he never wanted to meet, it was Hyuuga Neji. Well, he never even knew the real reason why he and Neji hated each other. The Hyuuga clan was known as one of the four aristocratic families of the elite society in the entire Konoha.

And sharing the number one rank with the Hyuugas was his own clan.

The Uchiha clan.

Sasuke ran his hands through his messy raven hair idly. He never really wanted to be tied down to that very prestigious name. Everyday, he was being fawned over by the crowd, being chased after by paparazzi and worst of all, being stalked over by mindless hordes of fan girls.

Who knew that the life of a socialite was much more publicly criticized than a celebrity?

Before he was about to answer that question in his thoughts, Itachi nudged him on his elbow. His back straightened when he saw none other than his father striding towards them with that cool posture of his. Formality graced Sasuke's features when his father finally stopped in front of them.

Great. He was still recovering from the trauma he had earlier and now this happens.

"Sasuke."

* * *

Sakura smoothed the creases on her white floral skirt. She was still enthralled at the strange person she met at the shadowy parts of the garden. It was too bad she didn't see the person's face because of the lack of lighting but she knew that the voice used earlier was rich and deep.

The person was definitely male.

But she doubted the screaming part.

"Maybe I should've followed him then asked his name. It's good to have new friends, especially since he's an interesting fellow." Sakura was still chuckling when Neji's voice startled her. Suddenly conscious for her lack of modesty, she finished smoothing the rest of the creases in a fluid motion then turned to face her boyfriend with a shy smile. "Neji – kun."

The look on Neji's face worried her. "Where have you been? I thought I told you to stay within the vicinity of this party."

"I was…" She lowered her gaze and then started to fidget. "…looking around the garden."

Neji was not convinced. He grabbed Sakura on her upper arm then leaned closer to her so that his mouth was near her ear. "Saku – chan, as much as I love you so much, the one thing I really don't like is that you're not following my order. What if you accidentally met someone that you didn't know? Who knows? I might not be able to save you in time if you're taken away to who knows where."

Sakura squeaked at the sting of threat laced from her boyfriend's voice. Though he had a point, she chose not to argue. One thing the whole school did not and would never know about Hyuuga Neji despite his showering of affection towards his girlfriend was that he had a tendency of hurting her.

Physically.

Emotionally.

Mentally.

Satisfied at his girlfriend's meek reply, he brushed a few strands of rosy pink hair away from Sakura's face then kissed her on her forehead. "Very good. Don't worry we'll be leaving soon. Just as soon as I meet up with someone I would like to see after several years of separation."

"Who Neji – kun?" Sakura asked curiously.

"A childhood friend."

…………

Fugaku regarded his two descendants with formal looks. It had been four years since Itachi took Sasuke with him to live far away from their watchful eyes. Since then, he tried to make contact with the two of them, even sending Sasuke to a prominent college, the Sunagakure University.

He closed his eyes, opening them again as he stared at the two youngsters who closely resembled him. "Itachi. Sasuke."

The two younger Uchihas bowed in respect. "Otou – sama."

"You two look well. Especially you Sasuke. The University at the Country of Sand must be suiting your interests."

Sasuke flinched. He made a fake smile. "Yes. As a matter of fact, the environment there suits me just fine."

Itachi let a smirk grace his features. His brother was doing his part well. It was almost perfect but hey, it was the least he could do. He stared back at his father. Fortunately, the Uchiha patriarch was taking Sasuke's words very seriously.

Fugaku gave a smile. "That's good news. And since you're now graduating from the university, then I can leave the entire Uchiha Industries to you."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm in my graduating year of **high** school, Otou – sama. Don't push it."

"Whatever." He then turned to his firstborn with a wary glance. "And you're going to help your ototou in any way you can right, Itachi?"

"As you wish Otou – sama."

Sasuke clenched his fist. This was absurd. Even after he graduate from college, his father was still planning to manipulate him. He cast a look at his elder brother. By the tight set of his jaw, Itachi was also thinking of the same thing.

"Very well. I must take leave of you both. I have important guests to take care of. It was nice to see you again, my two rebellious progenies." Fugaku turned on his heel then strode away, making his way towards Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage of Konoha and his wife Mikoto.

…………

When their father was finally out of earshot, Itachi gave Sasuke a reassuring smile. "You don't need to worry about what chichi said, otouto. He was only securing your future."

Sasuke snorted. "He didn't have to. He is only ruining my life."

"Maybe. But there are some things that are needed to be taken care of."

"Like what?"

Itachi raised a sleek finger then pointed it behind Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke followed the direction of his finger, a groan emitting from the back of his throat when he saw Hyuuga Neji --- 'the' Hyuuga Neji walking purposely towards them with a small woman trailing behind him. Neji's gray eyes spotted him, his cold glare ineffectively rooting him on his spot.

"I will leave you both for awhile. But remember, we'll be going home soon," Itachi whispered to Sasuke's ear before he left his younger brother's side to mingle with the crowd. Sasuke took a deep breath then faced Neji's aristocratic face with a firm set of his jaw.

"Hyuuga."

* * *

Neji raised one eyebrow before returning Sasuke's greeting with a curt nod.

"Uchiha, I never expected to see you here in your father's party. I thought that you would never remove that huge stick up in your ass," the Hyuuga prodigy greeted with a smirk on his face.

Sasuke gave an offhanded shrug. "What can I say? I'm quite unpredictable." His onyx eyes hardened. "I knew you're not the type to make pleasantries Hyuuga, so spill it out."

"As expected from the number one teen idol of Konoha. Your mouth is still blunt as ever."

"Hn."

Neji waved a hand at him as if he was batting something offending. "Never mind. I didn't come here to start a fight with you." Seeing Sasuke's unwavering look he smirked again, wider this time. "I came all the way here just to see my one and only childhood friend. And it seems that the University in Sunagakure must be giving you quite a stir."

Sasuke picked up a shot glass of scotch from the wine tray next to him. He downed it all in one gulp; the bitterness of the wine burned his throat. He was too pissed off to even savor the taste. "How touching. You came all the way here just to see me," he sneered.

"You're not pleased. I can tell," Neji replied smugly. "By the way, I have someone for you to feast your beady little eyes on." He stepped aside to reveal a small petal – haired girl who was standing behind him. "I want you to meet my fiancée, Haruno Sakura. Sakura – chan, this is Uchiha Sasuke, my childhood friend."

Sasuke only raised a brow. "She's a…fine woman." _Looks kinda familiar…_ He lifted her hand then planted a kiss at the center. "A pleasure to meet you, Haruno – san."

Sakura squeaked at the contact. Beside her, Neji was fuming although he had kept his smile fixed on his face. She instantly withdrew her hand away from Sasuke's hold, giving him a shaky smile. "I – It's nice to meet you too, Uchiha – san."

Neji stepped in between them. "Now that you two had been properly introduced…" he interrupted, glaring at Sasuke. "Forgive me for my rudeness, but I'm afraid that Sakura – chan and I would have to go."

"So soon?" Sasuke asked. His mouth curved into a sinister smirk. "Let me guess. You wanted to spend time all alone with your new 'pet'?"

Sakura blushed at his rude remark.

Neji continued glaring at him. "Ha ha. Very funny Uchiha. Despite your looks, it seems that there's not a single female here alive that could tolerate your dirty attitude."

Sasuke shrugged. "Perhaps it is still early for the females to get into my good side. A pleasant night to you, Hyuuga." He turned his back on them. Before walking away, he settled a lingering look at Sakura. "Haruno – san."

She did not blink even when Sasuke had finally taken his leave of them.

* * *

Naruto and Ten Ten were waiting outside of the car when Sasuke finally reached them. It seemed that his blond friend was fully stuffed from eating bowls of ramen.

Ten Ten on the other hand, was sifting through her pockets and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. She took one stick then handed the pack to Itachi who was sitting inside the driver's seat.

All three of them looked up to see Sasuke trudging towards them. Itachi raised a brow at him as he finally gotten a stick then proceeded to put it in his mouth. "Had a good time with your little reunion, ototou?" he asked.

"Aa," he replied curtly. Itachi handed him the packet of cigarettes, which he gratefully declined.

His older brother snorted then lighted his cigarette. He blew a small cloud of smoke. "I thought you were about to bust Hyuuga's brains back there."

"Nah. I was about to. But I didn't because he brought someone with him."

Itachi smirked. "He did?"

His younger brother sighed as he leaned back against the front door of the car. "Aa. He came all the way here just to flaunt his pet to me."

Naruto's head popped from nowhere. "Really? He has a pet? A dog? Cat? An iguana?"

"No, you idiot!" Ten Ten's hand came out from nowhere also and smacked Naruto's head. "What Sasuke meant was that Neji brought a girl with him! You know, the pink haired hussy who follows him around at school!"

"Ow! But a girl is not counted as a pet ya know!"

"When it comes to elite societies, girls of low stature are considered **pets**. I wonder what Hyuuga thought when he picked out that girl as his fiancée," Sasuke mused.

_Pink hair?_

His brow furrowed.

I've seen that girl somewhere. I just can't remember where… 

"Yo, ototou." Itachi broke his thoughts. "We better go. You have classes tomorrow. And besides," he added, giving a tiny discernable smile. "It's time for you to go back to your façade. Again."

Sasuke shrugged as they flanked inside Naruto's car. This time, it was Ten Ten who took the wheel. "You guys are already drunk --- two of you on Scotch and the other one on Ramen broth. I don't want to end up dead with you guys if we get hit on a post somewhere."

The three boys groaned in response as the car sped through the night. However, the stillness of the night was immediately shattered when an ear – shattering scream.

"I FORGOT TO DO THE HOMEWORK!"

* * *

Morning…

At Konoha Academy…

Donned with three inches thick foggy glasses, Sasuke made his way quietly through the school's corridors. It was six thirty in the morning and there are no students yet loitering around the campus. He took a deep breath as he finally reached the door with a plaque on its glass pane. The plaque read: Chemistry Lab.

Sasuke turned his head sideways, checking to see if there's a trace or hint of smell of a person lurking around besides him. Finally convincing himself that there was none, he tested the doorknob for any jinxes. "Nope. Looks like there's are no electrocution on this one," he whispered to himself.

"Well, now that there's no one here, I should start finishing up those bullies' homeworks," he said again, to himself. He flicked the knob then opened the door with a swift movement. The door gave way with a loud BAM! and he immediately stepped inside. He heard something fall then the last thing he knew he was engulfed in the darkness.

SPLAT!

The entire student body pinched their noses in disgust when the offending odor permeated the entire classroom. All eyes glared to only one isolated person sitting in the farthest corner of the room. The poor perpetrator bowed his head all the while burying his face in the textbook he was clutching on for dear life.

Oh yeah… This was going to be a very long day…

…………

"What? You went with Neji to a very exclusive party?" Ino gasped.

They were in the school cafeteria, sitting side by side in a table facing glass doors overlooking the school gardens. The blond girl flipped one wavy strand of her tresses away her face. "And not just any exclusive party," she added with a gush of excitement. "It was a party for the Uchiha clan!"

Sakura sighed as she twirled her glass of iced tea absentmindedly with a straw. "Ino, I don't understand why you're so excited about that. It was just a party and Neji was only there because he wanted to see his childhood friend."

"Pshaw. You mean your pathetic boyfriend had a friend in that party? Hmph! He must be very dopey, having Hyuuga Neji for a friend," Ino commented wryly.

"He's not pathetic!" Her petal – haired friend retorted. She continued to swirl the iced tea, her green eyes intent while doing her job. "And Neji – kun even introduced me to his childhood friend."

Interested, Ino clasped her fingers together and formed an arch beneath her chin. "Really. And who's the friend Sakura? Is he someone we know?"

"Maybe. I think his name was Uchiha Sasuke."

Ino fell off her chair due from tremendous thrill. She clutched either sides of the table and used them to hoist her up from the floor. "W – What? I don't believe it…'the' Uchiha Sasuke is Neji's friend? This…is too shocking!"

Sakura's brows furrowed together, confused. "I don't understand. What was so shocking about that? Uchiha – san was a very quiet person. He wasn't even smiling when he and Neji finally met after years of separation."

Her best friend since childhood tapped her fingers loudly together. "Of course who wouldn't? Saku – chan, your boyfriend is the worst living being here in the planet! From the way he treated you in the past four years, even Sasuke his childhood friend shunned away because of his behavior!"

Sakura did not say a word. Ino's words were all true. And from the looks of Uchiha Sasuke's face when they met at the party, he was not very pleased at all. "I – I don't know…Ino – chan," she whispered quietly. "Even if I wanted to break free from him, I just…"

"Whoa! Hey watch out!"

Both girls turned their faces when they saw a boy tripped on a banana peel. He jerked forward, the tray of food slipped from his hand. The tray sailed into the air, and before they knew it, a loud shriek echoed throughout the entire cafeteria.

Sakura looked down in horror. The tray crashed in front of her, its contents hit the floor with a splash at the same time spilled carelessly over her white skirt and the lower half of her pink shirt. Ino stared wide – eyed while the students surrounding them shook their heads fretfully.

Teary eyed, she averted her gaze to the one who caused the accident.

Her green eyes widened.

It was none other than the nerd boy from her class.

* * *

He was lying face flat on the floor. After a few seconds, he immediately sat up, pushing his thick glasses frantically to the bridge of his nose. "Anou…" he began, focusing his gaze at the girl standing in front of him. He gulped when his gaze stopped and saw the huge stain in her clothes.

"G – Gomenasai…" he blurted out, hands and knees on the floor. He bowed his head as he apologized again and again. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I'm sorry! So very sorry!"

She wanted to kill him. "Why did you…" was all she managed to come out from her mouth. She was mad. She and Neji were planning to go to Ichiraku after class. And now…her dress was ruined by…by…by…

A total loser!

"Just don't come near me you pathetic life of a jerk!" Sakura cried out as she ran away from them and out of the cafeteria.

Her reputation had already gone down thanks to him.

* * *

"Geez, Suke. When would they stop torturing your ass? You've been attacked by the bullies for 11 times now," Naruto mused as he dragged Sasuke out of the dumpster. Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly, raking his fingers through his already matted hair.

"I don't know. From the looks of things, I even spilled food on a girl's clothes. Afterwards, Chouji and his football team cornered me again in the washroom and dumped my head in the toilet bowl for thirty minutes. The next thing I knew…I ended up here," Sasuke replied, wiping smudges of dirt on his face.

Ten Ten curled her fists together. "Still! I really don't like the girl who humiliated you in front of everyone in the cafeteria. Even though you already apologized to her, she still called you pathetic! She's a lucky bitch that I wasn't there when it happened!"

"Pathetic life of a jerk. Yeah, I already know. She told me right in front of my face," he muttered, cleaning his glasses thoroughly with the lower half of his shirt. He glanced down at his dirty rumpled self and grimaced. "I wasn't able to scrutinize her features but I begged at her feet for forgiveness."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Maybe that girl had a connection with those bullies who beat you everyday. After she left the cafeteria, Chouji and his gang of pigs already stood by the door waiting for you to come out. We all knew what happened next."

"Great. Just great," Sasuke muttered under his breath. He now had an enemy with the face and body of a girl.

"Anyhow, why don't we crash again to your house, Suke? School's over and we don't have anything to do at home," Ten Ten suggested.

Sasuke nodded. "Whatever. Let's just leave. I don't want to get into any more trouble."

Naruto pumped his fist wildly in the air. "Yay! Ramen, ramen, ramen, ramen!"

Ten Ten punched Naruto on his face. "Pipe it down, Foxface!"

* * *

Nighttime…

Sakura strolled downtown, wallet in hand. She sighed as she remembered the scene at the cafeteria. She bit her lower lip. She had done something wrong. She called the nerd boy a pathetic type of a person. Just like what Ino addressed to her boyfriend Neji all the time.

Pathetic.

"I couldn't believe that I got mad earlier. Sure, it was a really nasty spill. But…I yelled at him in front of so many people," she said to herself. She was not mean. She was too frustrated that her date with Neji would be inevitably postponed, which he did, all because of a stain!

She finally stopped in front of the supermarket's double glass doors. "Well, the least I can do is to apologize to that guy tomorrow at school. Even if others were bullying him because of foolish reasons, I should've been more considerate towards him. He apologized."

_He even begged you on his hands and knees for forgiveness_, a voice in the back of her mind crowed.

Sakura shrugged as the sliding doors of the supermarket automatically opened then stepped inside.

"Might as well get some shopping done."

* * *

A sleek black convertible finished parking in an empty lot next to the supermarket. Afterwards, the car door opened and the owner stepped out of the car. Muttering curses under his breath, he locked his door then made his way towards the supermarket.

The inside of the supermarket was bright that the radiance burned his eyes. It had a cheery atmosphere too. Begrudgingly, he made his way through several aisles, a market basket in his hand. He reread his grocery list again, cursing again at the words scrawled messily in the paper. "They made me go to the market just to buy all of these? Damn them."

He immediately went to aisle no. 35, with a sign marked RAMEN hanging above the ceiling. Later, as soon as he gets home, he'll eventually kill Naruto and chop him to bloody bits.

…………

Sakura finally headed to the counter, her basket full of food and household supplies. She stood behind a frail old lady who was having her purchases being punched down in the cash register by the cashier. She put her basket down for a while to rest her sore muscles. "Whew, after this it's another ten miles of walk from here."

When it was finally her turn, she skidded slowly next to the cashier then bended down to grasp the handles of her basket. "W – Wha? Damn, why wouldn't it budge? This thing is too…heavy…"

"Miss?" The cashier asked. She was worried that the pink haired girl might strain herself too much and snap her spine. "Do you need assistance?"

"No! I'm perfectly fine! I can handle this!" Sakura protested as she continued to heave with all her might. The basket still didn't budge. She almost yanked the handles of the basket off from its holes when out of the blue; a hand grasped the handles of her basket then hauled it on top of the counter.

Flushed at her weakness, she turned her head to face her knight in shining armor. "Thank you very much. I couldn't have done without…"

"You?"

* * *

Author's Note: Chapter 4's finished! Summer vacation's just around the corner. Thanks for the reviews in the last chapter! Comments, suggestions, opinions (not so cruel opinions) are welcome!

Next Chapter 5: A bunch of foolish lies


	5. A bunch of foolish lies

Disclaimer: Naruto is still the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

A/N: Anyeong haseo, minna – san! I humbly apologize that I'm still unable to form pairings because of my undoubtedly weird ideas for this story. You'll see what I mean when you finish this story and get into the later chapters. But don't fret; I will still continue this story. I just added some…"things". Please don't forget to review; I really want to hear from you guys. Arigatou!

* * *

Chapter Five: A bunch of foolish lies

* * *

"You?"

Both of them exclaimed at the same time. Sakura could not believe her eyes at what she was now seeing in front of her. She rubbed her eyes, pretending that everything was all a dream. When she opened her eyes, she almost fainted.

He was still there.

And he was tapping her on the shoulder.

"Yo, ojousan," he said coolly all the while tapping her on her shoulder. "Before you decide to check me out, I suggest you finish paying up your groceries from that pretty lady at the counter then we'll get to know each other better."

She blinked. This guy was blunt. Was he really this accommodating whenever Neji wasn't around? "Uh… hai!"

Smirking, he left her side then went to the next counter to pay for his purchases. Sakura barely managed to hold herself together even after the cashier handed her receipt and the plastic bag full of groceries.

"Thank you. Please come again."

Giving the cashier a weak smile, she grabbed her plastic bag then headed out the door. Before she took a few steps away from the supermarket, she heard that same deep voice calling her.

"Wait. Where are you going?" The guy from before asked her. He was also carrying his own bag of groceries on his right hand.

Sakura turned her head sideways, giving him a weak smile. "Home." She didn't want to give Neji another heart attack if he finds out that she had been talking to another boy.

But this guy didn't know the limits of her boyfriend's anger. "I'll give you a lift home. And judging from that heavy bag of groceries you are carrying, you're not going to last for three minutes." He walked away from her, obviously heading back to his car.

After fighting a battle of wills inside her mind, Sakura decided to follow him and almost tripped over her own bag of groceries. She trailed after him, gathering enough courage to speak with him. When she was finally near him, she blurted out. "A – Arigatou… Uchiha Sasuke – san."

The guy stopped halfway from walking. "What did you say?"

"Anou…" Sakura crinkled her brow. "Arigatou?"

"No. After that."

She was starting to become confused. "Uchiha Sasuke – san?"

The guy immediately laughed. She was now beginning to worry. Why would Uchiha Sasuke – san laugh at her?

"You're close but sad to say I'm not the Uchiha you're seeking after." The guy smiled as he went to her and without word took her groceries with his other hand. "I'm Sasuke – san's older brother. Uchiha Itachi."

Embarrassment heated her cheeks. She immediately bowed her head in apology. "G – Gomenasai! I'm sorry I mistook you for someone else…I - Itachi – san! It's just that I…you and Sasuke – san are so alike in many ways."

Itachi shrugged. "Nah. We're not alike if that's what you're implying." He began to walk ahead of her. "Now that introductions are over, as promised, I'll give you a lift home."

Instead of arguing to herself that she might face her boyfriend's consequences, Sakura agreed.

* * *

Itachi finally reached the car and pulled the keys from his pocket. He set the bags down and was about to open the door when he stopped.

The car was already open.

He yanked the door open and was greeted with another brooding face similar to his. "What the hell…?" he started then continued, "I already told you many times to stop scaring me, ototou! And since when did I give you a permission to sit on the driver's seat?"

His younger brother smirked. "Ever since I was old enough to drive your car, stupid." He got out of the car and ignored Itachi's glare. "Don't look at me like that. You look like you're about to eat me."

"You're lucky I'm vegetarian, Sasuke. Or else I would have tried your suggestion right about now," Itachi retorted, a smirk finally appearing on his face. Sasuke gave him a glare instead and was about to lend his brother a hand on the groceries when a sight stopped him.

There was a pink – haired girl about his age standing in front of him.

"And you are?" he inquired.

The pink – haired girl smiled at him. "Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you again, Uchiha Sasuke – san."

'_Uchiha Sasuke – san?'_ He squinted his eyes. Now, he remembered. At that particular time during the party. Yep, it was the girl he met last time at his father's party.

To put it simple, it was Neji's pet.

"You're Neji's pet," he finally said out loud.

The girl's smile suddenly reduced to a frown.

Itachi crossed his arms. "Stop calling her names, ototou. Remember what Naruto said before, a girl is not considered a pet."

Sasuke glared at him. He didn't like being scolded. And certainly not in front of Neji's girlfriend. Who knows? She might spread silly rumors to Neji about the youngest son of the Uchiha patriarch being scolded by his elder brother after he called a girl names.

What an ungentleman – like thing to do.

Angrily, he yanked the bags with his own two hands then proceeded to load them at the trunk of the car. Good thing he was not wearing his usual geek attire. The girl was even studying at the same school as him and he didn't want his cover to get blown off.

"Anyhow," Itachi began then wringed his hands. "We should head out now. Sasuke, you take the wheel."

_What the heck?_ "But I…"

"No buts ototou. Haruno – san, am I right?"

"Um…hai."

Itachi opened the back door of the car. "Get inside. My little brother is going to be your _chauffeur_ for the night. You may order him around as you wish."

Sasuke almost dropped the groceries that threatened to spill when he loaded them inside the trunk of the car.

How dare his…brother!

Mumbling words of thanks, Sakura slid inside the car. Itachi settled himself on the front seat while waiting for Sasuke to enter the car. Sasuke finally slid on the driver's seat then closed the door. Sliding the key into its slot, he started to turn on the engine. When it was warm enough, he brought the car into motion, leaving the supermarket in a trail of smoke.

* * *

Hours later…

"You guys are soooooooo laaaaaaaaate!" Naruto whined in greeting as the two Uchiha siblings finally entered the house. Sasuke muttered curses under his breath as he headed for the kitchen with the bag of groceries tucked under his arm. Itachi was the last to enter, a smug smile on his face.

The door to Sasuke's room opened and Ten Ten's head popped out. "I thought that I heard you guys arriving. And I was right."

Itachi dragged himself tiredly on his couch. "Man, I can't believe we drove all the way to the supermarket just to buy packs of ramen. I swear if you make us go there again Naruto, I would eventually kill you."

"Hehe. Sorry about that!" Naruto chimed in response. He settled himself comfortably on the floor.

Ten Ten sank to the sofa next to Itachi. "Heh, foxface will never change." Her brown eyes averted to the kitchen. "What's up with Sasuke? Did something happen when you were gone?"

"No reason. He just got mad at me for ordering him around. We accidentally met one of his classmates at the supermarket. I ordered Sasuke to take the wheel and gave the girl a lift home." Itachi shrugged his shoulder self-righteously. "Thought to give him some education on being a good gentleman."

The brown haired girl cocked her head to one side. "Who's the chick? Someone me and foxface know?"

"Could be. Her name's…what…oh yeah…Haruno – san. I heard Sasuke muttering about her being Neji's pet or something," Itachi supplied.

Ten Ten snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah! The pink haired hussy! And since when did she start to have a liking on Sasuke? She already had that Hyuuga pain-in–the–ass tightly wrapped around her pinky!"

"She may be Neji's pet, T, but she's still a girl," Naruto retorted coyly. He folded his arms and formed a pillow at the back of his head. "So what if she's starting to like Sasuke? The guy doesn't have any bad sides and he needs to have a girl anyway. And what's more, is that she's also hot if you ask me."

Ten Ten snatched the pillow tucked behind Itachi's head. The older male grunted when the back of his head landed on the stiff headrest of the sofa. She smacked the pillow straight at Naruto's face. "You ogler! And since when did you start fantasizing about Hyuuga's girl? Whose side are you on?"

"Ow! Cut it out! Of course I'm on the teme's side! It's just a crush, T!" Naruto protested, shielding his sore face with his arms. Ten Ten gave a low growl and continued to pound him with the pillow. He groaned as he tried to capture her wrists that were gripping his collar with his hands. "I take it back! Ow! I was only kidding!"

Sasuke finally came out of the kitchen, a tray of drinks on his hand. "Finally finished sorting out the groceries," he muttered to himself, proud of his organizing abilities. He caught sight of his two friends tackling. "What are they doing?" he muttered again and before he knew it, his left foot tripped over a magazine.

"WHOA!"

The tray and its contents (again!) sailed into the air and crashed on top of the two wrestling teens. Sasuke gulped when he felt two angry gazes being shot on his way.

"Uh – oh…gomenasai," was all he said before he dashed away from the living room.

Naruto glared at Ten Ten, an evil smirk plastered on his face. "As what I was saying before, which bad side does the teme have, T?"

"All sides," Ten Ten answered back, also with an evil grin on her face. They stood up simultaneously then bolted after Sasuke, their war cries ringing throughout the entire living room.

Itachi cracked one eye open, taking in amusement as he watched Sasuke being chased and tackled by two angry slopping wet teenagers. He smirked as he closed his eye then pretended not to hear his brother's screams from the kitchen.

'_Yep. They're now definitely going to eat him alive,'_ was his last thoughts as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Minutes after, inside the kitchen…

Sasuke finished squeezing off the excess water from his shirt, which he got from the previous bout. After engaging into a water fight using the faucet with Naruto and Ten Ten, it was obvious that he was terribly fighting a losing battle. It was two against one and even though Ten Ten was a girl, he still lost.

He gave a small sigh as he scrutinized the overflow of water that was formed after the battle. The height of the flood reached his ankles. "This flood should probably be gone by morning," he said to himself. '_Or else call the plumber if the vacuuming doesn't work…' _he added as an afterthought.

"Sasuke," Ten Ten called out from the doorway. She was only wearing a blue sports bra and shorts. "Can I borrow some of your garbs? Foxface wouldn't let me borrow some of his, though I don't know why. He said I might ruin the quality or something."

"No prob." He left his shirt hanging by the hamper next to the fridge. He motioned Ten Ten to follow him back to his room. Inside, Naruto was playing computer games and was yelling battle cries. Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly as he flung his closet door open and rummaged for a while.

Ten Ten took a seat at the edge of the bed. She watched the curved bend of his back as he continued searching for clothes that would fit her. A blush crept to her cheeks when she noticed that her gaze was lingering too much on his backside.

"I see someone staring at someone else's back tonight…"

She glared at the blond boy who, to her demise, stopped from playing and was now teasing her. "T's having what? A crush? Guess who…"

"Shut it, foxface! I was just staring at the door!" she fired back. Naruto only smiled as he turned back to his game.

"Really? Looks like our precious T is starting to have a crush on…" he trailed off with his singsong voice.

She was now beginning to see blood. Her fists were clenched and were ready to pound the living daylights out of Naruto. "Quit it, foxface! I'm not having a crush on…"

"Crush on who?"

Both of them whirled to find Sasuke staring clueless at them, a blue oversize shirt on his hand. Naruto gave a little laugh while Ten Ten glared at the blond.

"Well? I'm waiting," Sasuke added.

Naruto stuck a tongue at him. "Crush? Well, I've got a crush! Yeah, a crush on someone else and I'm not going to tell the both of ya!" He gave Ten Ten a knowing look with a smirk on his face. '_Looks like I'm going to spare you on this one, T…' _he thought happily.

Ten Ten understood his look and breathed heavily. Now she owed Naruto a favor. She turned to Sasuke with a look that would convince him that she was also pissed at Naruto. "What do you mean you're not going to tell us who your crush is? That's not fair! Right, Suke?"

Fortunately, Sasuke was unsuspecting. "T is right, dobe. We're your friends and we're supposed to be open with each other. So spill it out."

Naruto raised up his hands in defeat. _'Time to spice things up…' _he mentally thought. "All right, I'll confess. I've been hiding this to myself for quite sometime now. The truth is…I'm having a crush on…"

Ten Ten's eyebrows rose up in confusion. _What the heck is he saying?_

Sasuke crossed his arms as he smirked. Now this was something new. Their ramen – obsessed buddy is now going to admit to the two of them about someone he liked. And from the looks of things this was an event worth remembering for.

"The one I liked is…" Naruto grinned widely then pointed a finger.

"…you, Sasuke – teme!"

* * *

Ten Ten fell off the bed.

Sasuke's smirk began to crack.

Naruto laughed then placed a hand above his chest as if he was relieved to get that confession off his body. "Whew, finally took that one out! Now how was that?" He turned to face his two friends. He sweatdropped when he took notice of their pale and blank faces. "Guys?"

Ten Ten was the first to recover. "What the hell…? Foxface, don't tell me that you're a…you surely don't want to hear what I mean."

"That I'm a what?"

"A gay. Cross dresser. Transvestite. Bisexual. Anything else that we could add as a suffix to your name, dobe?" Sasuke added wryly, still shivering from the fact that one of his closest male friends gave up on his manliness and shockingly admitted his affections to 'him'. He wrapped both arms around himself.

It was way too…weird.

Naruto is gay.

His gay friend had a crush.

On him!

Freaky!

"Eeeyyyaahhhh…! Naruto don't make me doubt about your gender!" was all he said as he ran out of the room and headed for the bathroom. Ten Ten blinked at Sasuke's sudden action, obviously angry with their blond friend for making such an annoying confession.

She turned to face him, cracking her knuckles loudly. "What have you got to say for yourself, Foxface? Don't tell me you're really a girly girl in between those legs of yours?"

Instead of getting mad at her insults, Naruto laughed hysterically. Holding his insides, he laughed and laughed, obviously enjoying the entire scene. Steam began to shoot out of Ten Ten's ears as she tackled Naruto and pinned his arms in an agonizingly tight hold.

"Don't laugh at this situation, idiot! You've created quite a mess here and I suggest, no order you to clean it up right away!" she hissed, squeezing his arms so hard that he winced.

Naruto ignored the pain in his arms as he looked at her. "Geez, T! I didn't know you are this overprotective of Sasuke! Am I assuming that you indeed have feelings for him?"

Blush began to form at her face. "No I'm not! I just…I just hate seeing him get hurt that's all!"

"Oh, is that all?" Sitting up, he felt Ten Ten's grip loosen and was able to free his arms. He poked Ten Ten on the forehead, a poor imitation of Itachi's affectionate gesture. "B-A-K-A. I already knew right from the start that you liked him, T. And during those years, Sasuke was the only person you didn't beat up even when he would always call you by your real name. Which, you've always hated since middle school."

Ten Ten smacked his arm. "So what? And you're gay! You like him too!"

Naruto winked. "Yep! Not only do I like him, but also I love him from the bottom of my bowl of ramen!" Seeing a vein on her temple twitching, he laughed. "What? Afraid of a little competition?"

Ten Ten started beating him with her fists. "I'll kill you Naruto!"

Screams, howls of pain and laughter filled Sasuke's bedroom.

…………

Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, Sasuke sat on top of the toilet seat. Knees tucked under his chin and arms wrapped protectively around himself, he was still trying to recover from the trauma he had earlier after receiving Naruto's confession.

'My brother is going to have a fit tomorrow once he hears about this. Or rather, laugh until his sides hurt, knowing that he finds out another interesting fact about my life.'

Geez, the issue about the nerd thing lasted for years and still hadn't changed. Itachi was too traumatized and he didn't want to bring that up again.

"Oh man, I'm freaking out, why is this happening to me?" he muttered to himself. He was too damn tired from dealing with all the pressures --- from being bullied and insulted at school --- to meeting up with your enemy's girlfriend --- to being ordered around by your only brother and also --- to hearing out your guy friend's confession that he likes you!

Good grief. He was now suffering the effects of major emotional trauma.

"Gwaahhh! I'm thinking too much! Stop! Stop!" he cried out, his hands supporting his temples. His screams eventually filled the entire bathroom. He yelled at the ceiling above him. "Please just spare me if only for one day! Please! Just one day!"

* * *

Outside the bathroom, Itachi rubbed his head in irritation. He couldn't sleep peacefully on the couch because he was hearing screams coming from his brother's door and now --- also from the other side of the door he was facing. He was planning to have a pee then resume sleeping --- this time on his own bed, but now, after hearing his brother screaming from the other side, he doubted.

Was his brother starting to crack? That would not be good at all.

He gave a loud knock on the door. "Oi, ototou. If you're really having a tough time defecating, I suggest you put all of your strength in your rectal muscles, not on your throat muscles." Itachi whistled his way towards his bedroom, smirking to himself.

The screaming halted.

* * *

The next morning…

Itachi ran a hand through his disheveled hair as he ambled his way to the kitchen. It was seven o' clock in the morning and it was time for Sasuke to go to school. Naruto and Ten Ten already left, saying that they have to get there early than Sasuke.

'_Looks like Naruto – kun is happy today. I wonder what happened last night?'_ he thought, remembering Naruto's smirks and looks of mischief whenever he would glance at Ten Ten who rolled her eyes. Yes, something definitely happened last night. He even got worried about Sasuke's little predicament in the bathroom.

Speaking of his brother…

He sighed. Even now, he couldn't stand seeing his younger brother in his measly attire, especially that one particular outfit he often liked wearing to school --- bright orange turtleneck with matching bowtie, beige sweater and green – yellow striped pants. Oh, and he almost forgot that Sasuke wears those foggy glasses to complete his attire.

"Geez, please don't let me see him in those clothes. Please, just for this one day," he muttered over and over again as he entered the kitchen.

He blinked.

"Ohayou, 'nisan!"

The next thing he knew…

He fainted.

…………

Minutes after…

Sasuke scratched his head, wondering why his brother fainted in the first place. During breakfast, he caught Itachi staring at him with those bloodshot eyes of his. Annoyed that he always knew the reason for those scrutiny, he took a glance at his clothing. "Is there something wrong with my clothes, 'nisan?"

'_Just when I thought I would never see those clothes again,'_ Itachi huffed. "Do I still have to answer that?"

"We've talked about this, 'nisan. Ever since I entered Konohagakure University," his younger brother answered dryly. He finished downing his coffee in one gulp then placed the mug in the sink.

Itachi sighed as he stirred his coffee. "There are lots of ways to hide behind a façade, ototou. Why don't you try shedding off your geeky clothes for once? I heard from Naruto that you're going to have your School Festival in a few days. Also, he added that anyone could come and visit including those from the other schools."

Sasuke faced his brother and crossed his arms. "I know what you mean. You want me to go to my own school affair and wear a different disguise?"

"No, you're missing the point," Itachi retorted, waving his hand dismissively. "What I'm trying to say, is that instead of your geeky attire, you should wear your normal clothes when you attend the school festival."

_Wear his normal clothes? _

_The usual? _

Was Itachi kidding?

"The people there. They might recognize me," he protested in a small voice.

His brother laughed.

"They won't recognize you, considering the fact that your disguise in Konohagakure was… too geeky," Itachi retorted sarcastically.

He had a point.

Sasuke shook his head no. "Well I… I'm not going to do it. Hyuuga will hound me once he recognizes my face. And did I mention that almost whole of the student population in Konohagakure University consist of girls?"

"You already told me that a hundred times, one of the main reasons why you chose to stick to your ugly façade. Yeah you already did," Itachi replied flatly.

His younger brother shrugged. Surely it wouldn't hurt if he tried his brother's idea right? And besides, he was also getting tired of doing the same bullying routine everyday.

At least during the festival, he would be spared from those onslaughts and enjoy the activities as Uchiha Sasuke. A socialite studying at Sunagakure Academy and because of a friend's invitation came to Konohagakure for a visit.

Well, it was a fine lie but it'll do.

Rule number one in elite societies: _Never let others know what's behind your mask. It could kill them and worse it could kill you._

After saying goodbye to his brother, Sasuke walked his way to school. Uchiha Sasuke never walked his way to school --- Suke does. And Uchiha Sasuke never experiences wedgies before the start of classes --- Suke does. And all in all, Uchiha Sasuke does not live the life of a geek.

Well…his other half does.

And his other half needs a break.

"Might as well try his suggestion. Naruto and Ten Ten would be happy if I told them about this," he said as the school's familiar building came into view. Just wait for a few more days, and then he would be able to leave his nerdy self inside his closet once the school festival begins.

* * *

Konohagakure Academy.

Inside the classroom…

"Ohayou, minna – san!" Hatake Kakashi, the school affairs coordinator at the same time the professor in literature greeted his students with his usual cheeriness. "As you've already known, we're going to hold our school festival in two days time. So, we're going to divide our class into groups. Each of these groups will be assigned to different kinds of booths, which they will maintain for the rest of the festival."

Sasuke groaned. _'Booths. Maintain.'_

He would probably be assigned to the janitor booth for the fourth time in a row. The main reason why he hated festivals aside from squealing girls and dodging bullies was because of doing a janitor's job. Well, even though he survived those weeks of horrendous torture, it still sickened him to his stomach that he would do the same thing over and over again.

Maybe after college he would apply for a job in his father's company.

In the cleaning and maintenance department.

Kakashi pulled out a box from behind him and turne his attention to the class. "Well, to get started, I'm going to pick out names from this box. Afterwards, I'll put your names to your designated groups. I'm not going to hear and entertain any complaints, understand?"

When the students didn't respond, Kakashi gleefully began pulling out names from his box and dividing them into groups. After picking out the names, the students stood up from their seats and went to their designated groups. Sasuke also stood up from his seat and gulped when he saw where his name was assigned.

His onyx eyes traveled to where his assigned group was. And he didn't like it one bit.

All of the members assigned to his group were none other than Chouji and his gang of bullies.

_And what group you ask?_

The Cleaning Group.

For the fourth time in a row.

'_It would be better if I start reverting back to my old self,' _Sasuke thought glumly. _'I may die early at a very young age if this continues…'

* * *

_

A/N: What do you think? Well, the pairings are…uh, I don't know! See what I mean? Sasuke was already having problems in dealing with his nerd status at school, add Naruto's confession and Ten Ten's crush on him --- what's a guy to do? There are so many links right? That's why I couldn't pick out a definite pairing. Yet! Oh and what's this? Sasuke is planning to shed off his nerdy personality? What couldn't be better? I mean, what would everyone in his school think?

Sorry! Have to leave you all in a cliffy again! And I decided to post this earlier than I expected to not disappoint you readers. Arigatou for the reviews! Ja!

Next Chapter 6: School Affairs Part One


	6. School Affairs 1

Disclaimer: Nope. Naruto is still and will always be Kishimoto Masashi's property.

**A/N:** Anyeong haseo, minna – san! Hope you're not too shocked on my previous chapter. Gomene, but that was also part of the story. (Grins) Anyway, please enjoy this next chapter and don't forget to give me a review after you finish reading this!

* * *

Chapter 6: School Affairs Part One

* * *

"Move it a little higher! No, I mean a bit lower! No, tilt it to the right…no uh, left! No! Are you deaf, nerd boy? I said to the left! LEFT!"

Sasuke sighed as he moved the enormous banner to the left. As part of the Cleaning Group, they were to assist the Decorating Group led by Nara Shikamaru. Whoever in the right mind appointed the laziest person in the planet, he didn't know.

With a hammer poised on his hand, he was now on the verge of tacking the edges of the banner to secure it in place when…

"Wait!"

PAK!

"No I changed my mind. Move it towards the center!" the droopy-eyed Nara ordered as he went through the list of things needed for the other decorations.

Muttering curses under his breath, Sasuke nursed his sore thumb. He accidentally pounded it with his hammer when he got distracted by Shikamaru's drone – like voice. He angrily yanked the banner towards the center then hammered its edges, effectively keeping it in place. He finally stepped down from the ladder and observed his work from below.

Perfect. There were no tilts and slip-ups this time.

He was about to go when he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. He turned his head around and sweat dropped when he found out that it was Shikamaru.

"What?" he asked weakly. _Please no more work…_

"I know this is too troublesome but I want you to start making **five hundred** tissue paper flowers," Shikamaru ordered flatly then gestured toward the huge brown cardboard box next to him. "I want them done right away, if not now then tomorrow. Got it?" He then turned away from Sasuke to focus his attention between choosing the right color scheme for the festival's booths.

Sasuke was inevitably left alone with the huge cardboard box next to him. He crouched down on his heels and sighed. _'After putting up that annoying banner, he now wants me to make hundreds of paper flowers out of tissue paper? The man's crazy'_ he grumbled as he stared at his other classmates who were also busy with their own designated work.

Naruto was under the Food Committee. A small chuckle crossed his face as he saw his friend fighting a losing battle of wills while trying to defend his suggestion of putting up a ramen stall. Of course, when you have Yamanaka Ino as the leader…well, let's just say that she's a tough one to deal with.

He averted his gaze from Naruto then shifted to Ten Ten who was on the verge of pounding a guy bigger than her. Sasuke sighed when he finally remembered that Ten Ten belonged to the group that would host the Jail Booth.

Keeping in mind that he also had a job to do, he turned to the huge box in front of him. "Might as well carry it back to school. I can't make paper flowers here in the open. They might think that I'm a gay doing a girl's job," he said to himself as he attempted to lift the box.

Damn. Too heavy.

He heaved the box using two arms and with shaky steps headed back inside the school. Maybe he would do his work at the rooftop. No one would be stupid enough to bother him there.

* * *

"Here's the last of the decorations. Is there anything more that you wanted me to do, Shikamaru – san?"

Shikamaru browsed through his clipboard. _'Hm, almost all of the decorations are complete except…' _he thought then tapped his pen.

'_The paper flowers.'_

He turned to his fellow member with a lazy smirk. "Looks like I need some help in making paper flowers."

"Paper flowers?" his subordinate echoed.

"Yeah," he replied then scratched his chin thought. "I assigned the paper flower thing to that nerd guy but I'm sure he won't be able to finish all five hundred of those flowers in time." When he heard his subordinate groan he winked. "I order you to help him, SA – KU – RA."

Sakura gave him a disbelieving look. "I – I don't know, Shikamaru – san. Can you assign me to another task? I'm certainly not…I'm certainly not on good terms with him right now you know."

"Oh, you mean the scene at the cafeteria?" he asked. When she nodded, Shikamaru sighed again then stared at the white clouds that loomed at the sky. "Sometimes you should loosen up, Sakura. Almost everyone knows about your infatuation with a certain Hyuuga. However, bear in mind that not all knew of your attraction to him. Particularly the nerd boy that is."

Sakura shifted on her two feet. "I know. It wasn't his fault that my date with Neji – kun got screwed up in the first place. I got mad at him because of foolish reasons."

"Exactly. Since you're going to help him out then while you're at it, apologize to him when you're done." He clapped a hand behind her back. "If you two can't make it in time then continue it tomorrow."

Sakura nodded then started to walk back towards the school to look for the said person.

* * *

On the rooftop…

Sasuke winced when the edge of the tissue paper sliced through his finger. He dropped the half made paper flower he was making and sighed. He stared at the numerous paper cuts he received from the tissue paper.

'_Honestly, how could a thin tissue paper cause several damages like these to my hand?' _he contemplated ruefully.

He eyed the flowers he previously made from the past hour and a half. Twenty. '_Four hundred and eighty more to go…' _he smugly thought. He picked up the paper flower he dropped earlier then resumed his work. He hated to admit that he had to thank the Home Economics teacher for teaching him how to make the flowers.

"I never knew that I'm good at this," he muttered, throwing the now finished flower to the small pile next to him. He picked up a long thin wire and a red tissue petal then proceeded to tape the petal at the tip of the wire. While holding the wire on one hand, he used the other to pick up another tissue petal then taped it again onto its tip, continuing the process until the entire tip was encircled completely with tissue petals.

Sasuke threw the flower to its pile and was about to grab another wire when he sensed a presence coming from behind him. Not bothering to turn around, he spoke flatly. "If there's anything you want me to do, you could tell me later. I need to finish all of these by tomorrow."

"Is that all you have to say to me? After all, Shikamaru assigned me to help you with your work."

Surprised, he turned around to face the intruder. His mouth went dry when he saw none other than the pink – haired girl whom he met at the supermarket. "W – What do you want with me?" he blurted out.

Sakura smiled at him. "Like I said to you before, I'm here to help you." When she sensed his hesitation, her smile faltered. She could tell by his bewildered expression that he was afraid to communicate with her. "Is it okay if I help you?" she tried again.

'_It is more okay if she would leave,' _Sasuke thought glumly. He wouldn't want to mess with Hyuuga Neji. Especially since he was in his geek mode and supposed to play the part of a weakling. But, judging from the number of flowers he was about to make and the lack of help…

"I…It's okay. Even if I disagree, I still couldn't finish these in time," he replied feebly. Admitting weakness in front of a girl was too much.

Sakura smiled. So the nerd boy had pride. She sat cross-legged in front of him then stared at him. Apparently the nerd boy ignored her as he continued to work. The silence was starting to annoy her. "Can you teach me how to make those?" she asked.

Instead of answering, Sasuke handed her a wire and a tissue petal. Sakura accepted them with a confused expression. The boy sighed then pushed his glasses back to the bridge of his nose. He threw his finished work on the pile then picked up another wire and tissue petal. Holding them out in front of her, he began to show her how it was done.

"First hold this wire with your dominant hand. Then use your other hand to tape the tissue petal on its tip. Keep doing this until the entire tip of the wire is covered with petals," Sasuke explained and demonstrated the procedure.

Sakura observed with interest. Well, that wasn't hard to do. She glanced at the wire and petal in her hands. "Piece of cake," she said to herself. She grasped the wire with her dominant hand as Sasuke told her to do then picked up the petal with the other hand.

She yelped.

Sasuke looked at her at the corner of his eye. Even though he was wearing three inch thick glasses, he could still see that the pink – haired girl experienced the dreaded paper cut.

Well, looks like he wasn't alone in that department.

* * *

Naruto stretched out his arms like a cat. Finally, school's finished and the meeting will be continued tomorrow. He scanned the entire area for any signs of his friends. "Only T's here. Where the heck is Sasuke?" he asked himself.

"Yo, foxface!"

He turned around and smirked when he saw Ten Ten jogging towards him. He gave a big wave. "Yo, T!" he greeted.

Ten Ten stopped in front of him. "Did you see Suke?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Because we're going home together damn it!"

Naruto gave a sly smile. "Oh really? You're so mean, T! Just because you have a crush on him too, you would steal him away from me!" When Ten Ten squeaked at his response, he elbowed her playfully at the ribs.

The brown – haired girl glared angrily at him. "Grr…foxface…if you don't want to see my dark side, you better be nice to me."

"Chill, T! I know you want to keep Sasuke all to yourself, so let's go together and start searching for him," Naruto prodded, yanking Ten Ten by her arm then trudged back towards the school.

…………

Meanwhile, Neji scoured the entire school grounds, searching for Sakura. He already checked the gymnasium, the physics laboratory, cafeteria, almost everywhere. When there were still no signs of his pink – haired girlfriend, Neji muttered curses under his breath as he made his way back inside the school.

* * *

On the rooftop…

"All right! Three hundred and seventy five more to go!" Sakura squealed in happiness as she tossed her finished paper flower to the now huge pile in front of her. Sasuke sighed as he taped the last tissue petal on his paper flower. He hated to admit to himself that they both did a great job.

Well…almost.

With a flick of his fingers, he flung the finished paper flower amidst the enormous pile. He squinted at the now setting sun then sighed again. He turned to Sakura. "School's over. We'll continue this tomorrow."

She nodded, her hands folded on her lap. Though they spent doing those paper flowers for about an hour and a half, she never got to talk or even apologize to him. After staring at him for quite some time, Sakura decided to strike up a little conversation.

"Anou, uh…" she began. Damn, how can she strike up a conversation if she doesn't know his name? What should she call him? Calling him by his uh…nickname? That would be very insulting.

Unless…

"Anou," she began again, this time calling his attention. She somewhat succeeded in getting his attention after seeing his baffled look. Sasuke pushed his glasses nervously back into its place.

"W – What is it?" he croaked. He never wanted to blow off his cover. And he didn't want that to happen, especially in front of her. He turned away from her, focusing instead on arranging the flowers and materials back inside the cardboard box. When she didn't answer, he sighed then decided to take part in the conversation.

"Is there something you wanted to ask me?" he asked, lowering his voice quietly.

Sakura's whole countenance lit up. She clasped her hands together. "Anou, since we're going to be buddies for this job, why don't we get to know each other?"

"Buddies?" he echoed in amazement. _'Was this girl nuts?'_ he added as an afterthought.

"Yes," she answered. A smile was etched on her face. "Because Shikamaru assigned us together in this task! That's why I considered you and me as buddies." When he didn't answer, she bit her bottom lip. "You don't want to be buddies with me?"

It was a dumb idea. But he could not care less.

'_Think of Neji and the wrath of hell he would bestow upon you once he finds out that you're messing with his girl,' _the voice at the back of his mind said. _'And not only that, you will become the laughing stock of the school if he finds out that you've been hiding under the disguise of a nerd,' _the inner voice swaggered.

Ugh. Neji Hyuuga besting him.

Low.

"I think," he began. Sakura stared at him with her curious expression. He coughed as he tried to distract himself but folding the flaps of the cardboard box into place. He hated being close to a girl. Well, Ten Ten was an exception but still…

"I think it's better if you stay away from me, Haruno – san."

Her green eyes blinked in disbelief.

* * *

"He's not here! Damn, where the hell did that guy go?" Naruto grumbled angrily, closing the door to the science lab. He ran a hand through his spiky blond hair as he thought of the possible places Sasuke would hang out.

He heard footsteps and his smile widened when he saw Ten Ten approached him. "Well?" he inquired.

Ten Ten's expression was glum. "He's not in the classrooms nor in the gymnasium. The cafeteria is already closed and the library's empty. Looks like he's nowhere to be found."

Naruto snapped his fingers. "Which means, he's either at the toilet or he already left."

"We'll split then. You check the toilet, **as in every,** toilet here in school while I double-check the classrooms. Who knows? He might've come back for his stuff," Ten Ten ordered as they parted ways.

…………

"_I think it's better if you stay away from me, Haruno – san."_

His words stung. But she did not feel pain after hearing them. Although she still felt a slight numbness, she could feel deep in her heart that he was only being rude. She smiled again; refusing to acknowledge the pain she was experiencing.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders as he heaved the box and set it next to the water tank. He would leave it here for the night so that tomorrow, he could finish the remaining flowers. He looked at Sakura, surprised to see her quivering shoulders.

A lump began to form in his throat. _"Was I wrong?" _he ruefully thought. Oh yeah, he totally forgot. He was supposed to be the nerd, the shrink or whatever he could come up with to address himself. And judging from the weird expression on her face, he gulped.

Yep. He did something wrong.

He became downright rude.

"H – Haruno – san," he began. Sakura lowered her head, refusing to look at him. Sasuke turned to face the railings, his hand grasping the metal bars. "Y – You don't have to believe whatever I said earlier. It's just…" he swallowed, "…it would be wrong if you're going to make friends with someone like me."

Sakura finally lifted her chin to look at his back. A faint smile crossed her face as she clasped her hands behind her back. She cursed herself for getting emotionally affected by his words. She never expected that she; a popular girl in Konoha Academy would experience a rude entrée from a class lowlife.

She strode towards him, standing next to his side and grasped the metal bars with her own two hands. They both watch the sun descending from the horizon and the sky slowly turning from orange to blue. Sasuke moved away from his spot when the first two stars began to appear in the sky.

"Ne," she called out to him. He glanced back at her. Sakura gave him another smile. "We're going to finish the flowers tomorrow, right?"

He nodded.

Sakura tapped her chin with her finger. Then she clapped her hands together. "I know! Why don't we meet here together at the rooftop right after school? We could finish the flowers in no time."

"I…" was all he could come up with. "I don't understand. Why are you saying all of these to me?"

To his surprise, she poked him on the forehead. His onyx eyes widened and he took a step back, rubbing the reddening spot at the center of his forehead. That had hurt! Only his older brother had the nerve to poke him like that! And now…a girl did that stupid gesture to him!

To his misery, the girl before him laughed. She was looking at him as if he was the dumbest person on the planet. Sakura giggled then stuck her tongue out at him. "You're so weird!" she commented. Seeing his face reddening from embarrassment, she decided to take it back.

"What I meant to say is…I want the two of us to know each other better." Her green eyes crinkled. "Although I know that you're probably annoyed with me because I'm disturbing your privacy, but I want us to be friends."

He took a step back. "I don't want us to be friends."

Sakura restrained herself from hitting the boy so hard that his glasses would fall off. "Don't you experience loneliness once in a while?" When he didn't answer, she stepped forward in front of him. "I know. Each and every one of us does. But I'm amazed at you. Because despite all of the bullying you experienced, you still managed to shrug it off and pretend as if nothing happened."

Sasuke glared at her through his thick glasses. "That's because I don't want anyone prying into my personal life. Pretending is much more simpler than retaliating. You tend to gain and lose something at the same time." He walked past her to reach the exit. He then grasped the knob with a firm grip.

'_I got carried away again,' _he smugly thought.

She offered friendship. And he declined it. Why did he do that? Well, sure she was Neji's girl but that bad – ass Hyuuga never even had a clue that his one and only rival also went to the same school as him.

Disguised as a geek of course.

He sighed as he let go of the knob. Why not? It would be nice if he would get close to Neji's pet and pump information out of her. That would gain him an advantage against Neji. Nope. Bad idea. Bad idea.

But…

"_Girls are not considered as pets ya know."_

"I…" he began. _"Where did that come from?"_

Well eventually, Sasuke turned to Sakura with a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He couldn't believe himself that he was also agreeing to her idea. "About your idea. I think that would be nice, Haruno – san." He grabbed the knob again then opened the door. He glanced back at her and bowed. "I'll see you here tomorrow right after school. A pleasant evening to you, Haruno – san."

Sakura blinked one and twice when he finally left. "W – What was that?" She asked herself. Surely she heard that quote some time ago.

But where?

Flipping a few strands of her pink tresses away from her face, she walked towards the exit, only to be ran over by her own boyfriend. Neji stared down at her, a vein ticked just above his temple. Sakura lowered her eyes down to the ground. "N – Neji – kun…" she began.

…………

"What are you doing out here in the rooftop? Didn't you remember that we're supposed to meet at the school's main gate?" her boyfriend growled.

Sakura kept her gaze on the ground. "I was making paper flowers. Shikamaru – san ordered me to for the festival. I guess I lost track of the time when I was supposed to meet you."

"You were making paper flowers? Out here in the open?" Neji prodded.

"I – I was…" Sakura fidgeted. She didn't want to argue with Neji. But knowing her boyfriend's homicidal intents, honesty forced her to add. "The truth is that I was helping my classmate to finish all of the paper flowers by tomorrow."

Neji still didn't buy her explanation. He **searched** everywhere for her. She should come up with a better reason than that if she wanted him to forgive her. Wait, didn't she mention a classmate earlier? He eyed his pink – haired girlfriend coolly. "You mentioned a classmate. Was it a she or a he?"

"Neji – kun, I don't think…"

"Answer me Sakura. Was it a she or a he?"

She bit her lower lip. "It was a he."

He automatically brought his hand up and slapped her.

* * *

Sasuke finished packing the rest of his things when Naruto and Ten Ten finally found him. He raised a brow questioningly at their haggard appearances. "What happened to the both of you?" he asked nonchalantly.

Naruto panted as he stared wearily at him. "D – Damn you, teme! Where the heck have you been? We've searched the entire Konoha Academy just to look for your sorry ass!"

"Nowhere. Come on, let's go. School gates are about to close in one hour. I don't want to get locked up in here," the raven – haired boy replied instead. He slung his bag over his shoulder then walked out of the classroom.

Ten Ten shrugged her shoulders then followed Sasuke, leaving Naruto with his mouth hanging open. The blond boy blinked then snapped out of his thoughts. "Wait for me!" he yelled as he dashed out of the room and trailed behind them.

* * *

Nighttime came.

At the Uchiha house in the suburbs…

Sasuke yawned as he finished reading chapter 48 of Konoha's history. He closed the book then put it back in its customary place next to his glasses. "Damn that Kakashi…how dare he, assigning me to cleaning duty again! And that stupid lazy – ass Nara, ordering me around and forcing me to make those paper flowers!" he cursed as he open the blinds covering his window.

Moonlight spilled through his window, faintly illuminating his dim room. Folding his arms on his desk, Sasuke sank his face between them. For the first time in his entire life, never had he experienced fatigue for just one day. His thoughts drifted back to a certain pink – haired girl and at one particular scene at the rooftop.

"She wants me to be her friend. Me, a low class jerk, nerd, shrink and a weakling," he muttered to himself. "Well in reality, I'm a complete opposite of those descriptions at school." And besides, she doesn't know what she was asking.

She didn't quite know the capabilities of Hyuuga Neji once his trust has been betrayed. He closed his eyes as he remembered a vague memory during junior high. He saw Neji punched his girlfriend right on her face when he found out that she had been seeing another boy. He broke up with her immediately, but it was later found out that the other boy was a distant cousin.

Sasuke was about to surrender to sleep when someone tapped him on his shoulder. He batted the hand touching his shoulder but it still continued tapping him. Giving up, he muttered curses under his breath and glared at the intruder. "What the hell do you want, 'Nisan? It's already ten in the evening."

Itachi crossed his arms. "You forgot something, Sasuke."

His brows furrowed. "I did?"

"Yep." Itachi made his way back to the door he came in. "You forgot to buy milk from the grocery store."

Sasuke rose up from his seat. "But I…we already went there when it was your turn! Why didn't you buy some when we were already at the supermarket last time?"

Itachi slapped a hand dramatically over his forehead. "Oops…what do you know? I totally forgot to buy one." He smirked at Sasuke's disbelieving look. "Oh, and don't forget to lock the front door when you go out," he added as he left the room.

Sasuke grumbled another batch of curses as he grabbed his jacket from the bed and stomped out of his room, slamming the door behind him. He then strode towards the living room and pocketed the car keys, which Itachi left on top of the coffee table. He opened the front door and was about to lock it when he heard his older brother's voice coming from the doorway.

"Drive carefully and don't wreck my car ototou."

_The nerve of him!_

"Whatever," was all he said when he opened the front door and left the house. Itachi crossed his arms again, a smug smirk pasted on his lips. "Looks like I'm also heading out to some quiet and reserved place..." he said to himself. He stared at the stars overlooking the night sky.

"I think I'll go out for a little stroll..." Itachi added mentally. "Who knows? I might see a familiar person out there tonight."

…………

Meanwhile...

Sasuke parked the car next to the grocery store. "Damn him, forgetting everything! He only wanted me to get out of the house so that he could invite his friends over," he grumbled as he turned off the engine. After getting out of his car, he pocketed his keys then trudged towards the supermarket.

Inside the supermarket, he went straight towards the milk aisle and grabbed the biggest carton. His older brother Itachi had been obsessed with milk ever since the day he was born. Sasuke strode towards the counter to pay for the milk when he heard certain voices coming from behind him.

"_Hey haven't you heard the news? Haruno's disappeared and still hasn't come home to her house until tonight!"_

"_No kidding. Where could she be?"_

"_Nah, she might be on a date with Neji – kun. Everyone knows at school that they're officially a couple!"_

"_Yeah…I'm envious of Haruno – san. Having Neji – kun for a boyfriend, she's one lucky girl…"_

Sasuke snorted. "Pathetic. Probably frolicking around with her boyfriend," he muttered to himself. He really has to get going now. He has school to attend to in the morning. Glancing at his watch, he made a slight wince when he saw the time.

_'Damn, I have to make a run for it. Itachi's going to kill me if I he finds out that I took his car out for more than an hour.'_

PING!

Sasuke blinked then focused his attention at the cashier who finally finished punching out his purchase in the cash register. "Finally, now I can go home." His expression went stern. "But..." He handed money to the cashier then without a word grabbed the carton of milk and left the supermarket. The cashier's eyes widened when she found out the customer forgot to get his change. She stood up then began to follow him outside.

"Sir! I mean, Uchiha – san! You forgot your change!"

The girls who were gossiping behind him stopped talking about Sakura. After hearing what the cashier said, their eyes suddenly turned into hearts.

…………

"Did I hear that right? Was that person really Uchiha – san? Konoha's number one pinup idol? I don't believe it! He was here the whole time! In front of us," Ami, the girl with the short hair, who informed her friend about Sakura's disappearance, gushed.

Her friend, Rika nodded eagerly. "I think so! Oh, why didn't we notice him right away? How are we going to tell our friends that we met Uchiha – san here in the supermarket? I mean, duh! He was right in front of us!"

Ami crossed her arms. "Never mind! Let's just tell the girls at school about what we saw here tonight. Trust me, Rika! We're going to be famous once they found out that we've gotten close to the elusive Uchiha Sasuke!"

"You're right on, girl!" Rika agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Konohagakure Academy…

It was already nighttime. But she didn't move from her spot next to the school's water tank. With a thin wire on her hand, she wrapped a pink tissue petal around its tips then secured it with tape. She winced when she got another paper cut on her pinky.

It just wasn't fair.

Sniffing, she brought her hand up to touch her left cheek. It was hot. And it stung. She picked up another petal from the now slightly burnt cardboard box and wrapped it again around the tip then taped it. Hot tears began to course through her cheeks as she vividly recalled that particular event earlier.

…………

_He automatically brought his hand up and slapped her._

_She stepped back from the impact; the pain shot through her mind and frazzled her nerves. Her hand instantly went up to her cheek as she stared back at her boyfriend. She couldn't help but cry at his sudden inflict of pain. "W – What did I do?"_

"_As if you didn't know the answer to that, Sakura." Neji stepped in front of the cardboard box and brought out a handful of flowers. "Was these the reason why you didn't meet me at the school gate? Because you and your classmate made it?" An evil smirk went through his face. "Well, this is what I'm going to do with them." _

_He lifted the box then turned it over, scattering all of the flowers on the ground. He set the cardboard box next to it and kicked the flowers into a pile and to Sakura's horror; pulled out a lighter from his pocket. "What do you think will happen if I'm going to set fire on them?"_

_Sakura staggered to stop her boyfriend from what he was about to do. She clutched onto the sleeve of his uniform tightly. "No! Don't do it, Neji – kun! We worked hard to make those! Please don't do this, I beg you!" _

_Neji pushed her away. His lighter sparked, forming a little flame. Still smirking, he dropped it at the center of the pile. Within seconds, a huge flame engulfed the entire pile, reducing the finished paper flowers into ashes. Sakura watched helplessly as all of her hard work was gone… Everything went up in smoke. She sagged on the ground, her hand clutching Neji's pants._

"_Why did you do that, Neji – kun? I…we worked hard for that…" she pleaded weakly. Neji kicked her hand aside as he turned on his heel and started to walk away from her._

"_As long as you don't realize that you're completely mine, Sakura – chan. I'm not going to stop unless you accept me in your life," Neji answered coolly. He continued to walk and finally reached the door to the exit. Before he stepped a foot inside, he turned back at her. "I'm going to find out who's that 'classmate' you're referring to. I'm going to make that guy pay for taking notice of you."_

_Sobs could only be heard from her as he walked out of the door._

…………

Sakura wiped her tears as she forced herself to pick up another wire and tissue petal. She wrapped the petal around the wire's tip. "How am I going to explain this to him? Neji – kun made a bonfire out of the flowers we made. And right now, I only made **five** pieces. I'm surely not going to finish all of these by tomorrow." Her tears started to flow again.

The cool breeze of the night touched her tear – streaked face. Sakura momentarily stopped from her work to gaze at the dark starry sky. "I wonder if that boy is also staring at the same sky as I do," she said to herself. She glanced at her watch and winced when she read the time.

**10:30 PM**

'_Crap. Looks like I have no choice but to stay here tonight,'_ she glumly thought. Sakura slumped back against the tank, her eyes brimming again with tears. "I really don't understand Neji – kun. I thought he was nice and caring but until now…" she covered her face with her palms. "I don't know what to think anymore!"

"Then why don't you stop thinking if you really don't know what to think anymore."

Sakura faltered. "W – Wha?" she brought her face up when she heard that oh – so familiar voice. "Could it be?" she turned around to find the same raven – haired boy whom she met at the supermarket. "Y – You're…" she swallowed again, her vision still blinded by her tears. She closed her eyes and allowed them to fall.

There was no sound or response from the boy leaning next to the doorway. Thinking that she was only dreaming, she sat up straight and tried her best to meet his cool gaze with her hazy ones. She watched him walking towards her, his eyes never wavering from their gazes. Sakura let out a choked cry when he finally stopped in front of her. He then sits back down on his heels and began to stare at her.

She could not look at him in the eye. She was too shaken from the events earlier and the surprise she was now experiencing right now. "I – I don't know what I'm supposed to say in front of you…" She wiped away her tears so she could finally get a good look of his face.

There was still no response from him. She laughed quietly. She couldn't even see him through her puffy red eyes. "G – Gomenesai. I couldn't even look at you properly because of my tears. It's just that…I – I'm surprised that you're…uh…here. Um…why are you here? Are you looking for something?"

Instead of the usual smile she received from him that night at the supermarket, he only shrugged his shoulder. However, to her surprise, he reached out with his finger and wiped a drop of tear that was about to fall from her cheek. Sakura's cheeks reddened slightly when he moved his face closer to hers and whispered quietly using that deep voice of his.

"**Mi** – **tsu** – **ke** - **ta**."

* * *

**A/N:** Chapter 6 finally finished! I made the School Affairs chapter into a 5 – part story arc. Since the School Festival would last for about 5 days in their time, I already showed what happened during the first day and it's all about preparations.

The next chapters are also going to be extra long. Next chapter will be: School Affairs: Part Two

If you want me to update earlier like this one, can you answer this?

"In this chapter, who is Sakura's mysterious friend?"

For the readers, **reviews are a must**! And if you're not going to give me a review…well, who knows when I'm going to make Sasuke stop being a nerd…? Maybe…never.

"**Mitsuketa**." – "I found you."


	7. School Affairs 2

Disclaimer: Naruto is still Kishimoto Masashi's property, all right?

A/N: Anyeong haseo, minna – san! I want to thank you guys for reading my story and for answering the question in the previous chapter. Don't forget to review after you finish reading this chapter. The answer's going to crack you up, I tell ya.

* * *

Chapter 7: School Affairs Part Two

* * *

"**Mi** – **tsu** – **ke** - **ta**."

Sakura blinked in disbelief. _'Mitsuketa?'_

What did Uchiha – san meant by that? What did he find? What was he doing out here in the rooftop anyway?

Wait…what did he mean by _'Mitsuketa?'_

She swallowed.

He couldn't mean…

Was he looking…for her?

But why?

**Why?**

"You're Uchiha… Itachi – san, am I right?"

"…………"

* * *

"You're Uchiha… Itachi – san, am I right?"

All she heard was silence followed by a short "Hn" from the boy in front of her. Sakura then continued sobbing until they ceased. She was beginning to sniffle when she got to hear him talk.

"Finally. I thought you were about to create a huge waterfall out of those tears."

Sakura sniffed. "Even if I did, it would still be useless. I can't even sell this to the water company."

He smirked. "Good girl."

She was about to smile too when she felt something pressed against her palm. She lowered her gaze and found out it was a navy blue handkerchief. Sakura looked up at him curiously but she couldn't see him clearly because of her tears.

"Take it."

"But…"

"Just take it. Don't worry, I'm not going to charge you for that."

Sakura chuckled at his sardonic humor.

…………

She was still wiping her tears when she caught him staring blankly at the charred pieces of tissue paper next to them. For a moment there, she could've sworn she saw his onyx eyes turned to crimson. She immediately averted her gaze away from him; afraid she might've discovered something forbidden.

He immediately stood up from where he sat. He fingered a burnt piece of tissue petal and spoke, "What happened here?"

She lowered her head. "My…uhm…I…"

He sighed. "Spill it."

"My classmate and I were assigned to make five hundred paper flowers out of tissue paper. We somehow finished a hundred of them until sunset when…" Sakura choked on her words as new tears sprang forth in her eyes. "My…boyfriend got mad at me because I forgot to meet him in front of the school's main gate. Out of anger, he made a bonfire right here in the rooftop using the flowers that my classmate and I painstakingly made."

Instead of answering, the boy crushed the burnt piece of tissue petal in his palm. "Hn, figures." He gave her a cool look. "I don't know what's going on between you and your boyfriend but, from the way you said it, I'm sure you're not having a good time with him at all."

Sakura did not say a word. She clutched the blue handkerchief tightly in her fist. Even if Neji was not the kindest boyfriend in the planet, she was still in love with him. "I appreciate your concern, Uchiha – san. However, I'm capable of handling my own problems. My boyfriend…I…you should not be so judgmental of him."

Uchiha – san did not respond to her words. He stared at the slightly burnt box next to her. "Looks like I have to buy another one of those," he muttered to himself. He glanced back at the pink – haired girl behind him. "Pinky, looks like you're coming with me tonight."

"Huh?" Sakura was baffled. "What do you mean I have to come?"

Slightly irritated, he simply grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the exit. Sakura was caught off – guard but she allowed the raven – haired boy to drag her to whatever place he was taking her.

Even though she knew that her day ended up bad, it looks like she had to thank Uchiha Itachi – san for arriving just in time to save her from her emotional instability. Honestly, after all the years she had been with Hyuuga Neji, Sakura never experienced this type of giddiness in her entire life.

* * *

Uchiha – san gave her another ride in his car and this time, she didn't quite understand his actions. Earlier, they made a stop in front of a bookstore where he bought art supplies for reasons unknown to her.

During the entire drive, Sakura couldn't contain herself any longer. She decided to ask. "Anou, Uchiha – san. What are the supplies for?"

"Project," he answered dryly. His onyx eyes were too focused on the road. Well, his brother told him to drive carefully, so be it.

"Oh," she replied meekly. Gosh, she already wrote a long list of favors coming from Uchiha Itachi. Adding this ride would surely make her all of her debts a lifetime credit.

Silence filled the entire car; finally the drive was over in just thirty minutes. Sakura barely breathed when Uchiha – san finally put the car into a halt then turned off the engine. She squinted at the two – story bungalow house, uncertain.

"Where…where are we?" she asked nervously.

The guy next to her only sighed then picked up his purchases from the backseat. He opened his car door and stepped out. "Get out," he ordered flatly.

She hurriedly did what she was told to do. He locked the doors then lifted his purchases on one arm. Still ignoring her, he walked down the cobblestone path towards the house. Sakura trotted after him, slightly annoyed that her questions were unanswered.

This is the last straw. "Where the hell are we, Itachi – san? You don't mean to tell me that you're taking me here in the deepest end of the suburbs! This is called kidnapping you know! I'm warning you, if you're planning on harming me Itachi – san, I'll scream!"

The boy in front of her abruptly stopped. Sakura yelped when she collided onto his back, sending her backwards. His onyx eyes were cool and untrusting; she thought that she might faint from his intense gaze.

"Look lady, I'll say this once so be quiet." He huffed. "You're pining for the wrong Uchiha. And if you're going to end up as one of my brother's idiosyncratic fan girls, I suggest you consult your mom first before you join his psychologically abusive fan club."

"Wrong Uchiha? What are you talking about?" she echoed out loud.

As an answer to her question, the house's main door suddenly opened. The man similar to the guy in front of her crossed his arms. One dark brow rose up. "I know I sent you out earlier for a ten minute errand, ototou. And do you know what time it is?"

The guy next to her shrugged. "11:55 PM. So what? I already did your damn order, so shut up and be happy with it." He walked past his brother and entered the house.

Sakura blinked. The guy was downright rude! Actually, ruder than Neji – kun! And he was not even a gentleman! He left her alone on the sidewalk while he entered the house without inviting her in! The nerve!

The man who was still standing on the doorway turned towards her direction. He gave a lopsided grin. "So I see. We meet again, Haruno – san."

"Y – you must be…um…Uchiha Sasuke – san! It's so nice to see you again!" Sakura exclaimed, bowing her head in greeting.

The man laughed and made a flapping gesture with his hand. "Looks like you've got confused again but never mind. Why don't you come inside? I'm sure my ototou has some reasons for taking you here at our house."

"He'd better have. He dragged me here without even answering all of my questions," Sakura sighed as she went inside the house. The man closed the door behind him then motioned for her to sit and wait in the living room.

While waiting, Sakura tapped her black leather shoe on the red-carpeted floor. She was still confused in distinguishing one Uchiha from the other. Well, she couldn't blame herself. They both looked alike --- as in so much alike that they could easily pass themselves off as twins. Well, the rude Uchiha – san was different in personality than the kind Uchiha – san. That pretty much separated them apart.

…………

The kind Uchiha – san finally appeared in the living room holding a cup of tea. He set it first on top of the coffee table then sits on one of the lounge chairs opposite Sakura. "I apologize for my ototou's rudeness. He's really not that bad. It's just that he has a huge chip on his shoulder that fully requires surgery to disappear."

Sakura accepted the tea with heartfelt thanks. "Arigatou for the tea, Sasuke – san. But I'm sure Itachi – san and I must've started on the wrong foot. I'm also bad in dancing so maybe that's the reason."

Instead of being annoyed at the fact that she was calling him by his ototou's name, Itachi rolled his eyes. This girl proved to be a lot denser than he thought. "How nice. He also sucks in dancing as well. Oh, I almost forgot," the kind Uchiha winked. "I know he and I looked the same but let me share with you some little secrets about him. He's left – handed. He has a habit of running his hand through his hair whenever he's nervous. He never smiles, just smirks but you'll rarely see him smirk. He's always edgy so don't bother in surprising him, it won't work. And there's another big secret about him…"

Sakura moved closer to listen further. "What is it?"

"He's…"

"Just what are you telling her about me, 'nisan?"

Itachi covered his laugh with his hand. "Nothing. I just gave Haruno – san an advice on how to tell us apart, Uchiha **Sa**…**su**…**ke** – san."

Sakura immediately glanced back at the younger Uchiha who was standing right behind his brother. He was not smiling. She gulped. Following the kind Uchiha's advice, she could tell right away who one from the other was. "Y – You're the real Uchiha Sasuke – san!"

Sasuke only gave her 'the' look.

Itachi laughed weakly. "Well, now that she's able to tell us apart, I can leave you two in your own private world." He stood up from his seat then headed towards the kitchen. Inside, Itachi stifled his laugh as he got two tumblers from the cabinet and poured tea in them.

He immediately snapped a finger. "Shoot. I almost blurted out that my stupid ototou can scream like a girl."

…………

Sakura lowered her gaze at him. "I – I…I'm sorry. I guess I mistook you again for another person. But," she explained and looked in his cold onyx eyes. "I swear, I really couldn't tell you apart!"

"Whatever." Sasuke sat down on the floor next to the coffee table. "Already used to it. It's not everyday someone would stop in front of me and say, "Ohayou, Itachi – san!" whenever I walk out in public." He gave her a cool stare. "Mistakes like that happen all the time."

"I guess so." Sakura looked back down at the tea in her hands. "So, why am I here anyway?"

Sasuke stood up and started heading back from where he came from. "Staying for the night."

Shocked, Sakura immediately stood up as well and followed him. "W – What? That's impossible! I can't stay here. I need to go home too, you know!"

"In that condition?" Sasuke gave a dull look at her disheveled appearance. Sakura blushed furtively under his stare. He walked down the hall and stopped in front of a door. He opened it then ushered her inside.

Sakura stared at the well – maintained bedroom. Everything was pale blue – from the furniture, to the dresser and to the four – poster bed at the center of the room. She walked slowly towards the bed, running her fingers through its fringed quilt. Grateful as she was, she still couldn't accept his offer. "I…I just…" she managed to say.

"Don't worry; the stay's free of charge as well." Sasuke paced quietly out of the room and grasped the doorknob.

"Good night." He closed the door.

* * *

Itachi was sipping his tea when his brother entered the kitchen. He gave him a cocky smirk. "Well?" he asked in greeting.

Sasuke huffed and sat down on the stool next to his brother. Itachi handed him another tumbler filled with tea, which he received with quiet thanks. He was sipping his tea when his brother spoke.

"What are you planning to do with her, ototou?"

"Nothing."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "You can't hide anything from me. You're planning something 'fishy' about her, aren't you?"

Sasuke choked on his drink. He glared at his brother while he wiped the remains of the tea on his face. Itachi only gave him a coy smile.

He sighed as he leaned his back on the edge of the table. "Right, I'll tell you, Mr. High – and – Mighty."

"Spill."

"When I went to the supermarket to buy your milk, I overheard some girls talking about her 'not coming home from school'. I decided to drop by at school. I found her at the rooftop right next to the paper flowers we made only to find out that the stupid Hyuuga burned all of it into crisp." Sasuke crossed his arms and grunted angrily.

Itachi was silent for a few moments before he spoke.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

Sasuke hopped off from his stool and stretched his muscles. "What else? I'm going to make those damn flowers from scratch. Nara's going to need them by tomorrow and I want this done and over with."

"Oh." Itachi stood up from where he sat as well and eyed Sasuke with a furtive glance. "Are you sure that you're going to make a whole bunch of it before the school tomorrow? You only have a couple of hours left and it's already 12:15 AM, mind you."

Sasuke returned his brother's glance with an evil smirk. "I already took care of that. Naruto and Ten Ten are on their way here to help and," his smirk widened. "You're also going to help us, 'Nisan."

His older brother sighed. "As if I had a choice. You're testing my patience, Sasuke. You know I can't stand doing junk that you and the women love."

"Don't get started with me, 'nisan," Sasuke warned dangerously. Something caught his eye and he pointed at the small brown paper bag in front of them. "What the hell is that?" he asked.

Itachi followed his gaze and he let out a small laugh. "Oh, that? That's for Kisame's pet piranha. I met him outside while I was taking a little walk. While you were wasting your time, I went to the supermarket and bought pet food for his fish."

"Nani! You had the nerve to order me around and buy your junk when you already had enough strength to take a little walk! Not just any walk, but a trip to the supermarket nonetheless!" Sasuke groaned.

Itachi fanned his hand just above his neck. "Ooohh…hot, hot, hot. Seriously ototou, try to calm yourself a bit more, will you? No wonder Haruno – san is so afraid of you."

His ototou scoffed. "Who cares about what she thinks? I'm already doing her a large favor so shut up."

"Right."

The sound of the doorbell brought an end to their little quarrel. Itachi went outside the kitchen to answer the door, leaving his little brother to tidy up a bit. Sasuke was washing the used tumblers when Itachi finally appeared in the kitchen.

"Sasuke. Your reinforcements has arrived," his older brother announced flatly.

Sasuke put the tumblers back inside the cabinet, a frown marring his face. He turned to peek at his brother who already disappeared from the kitchen and apparently, went back to the living room to prevent Naruto from doing anything suspicious. Sighing, he closed the cabinet, dried up his hands and followed his brother back to the living room.

* * *

2: 00 AM

In the living room…

"Itai!" Naruto yelped when he accidentally cut his finger with the thin edge of the tissue petal. He dropped the paper flower he was making and flung his hand out to the three bored people working in front of him. "Look at what that freaking paper did to my finger!"

"Yah, yah. We know, we know. You got a freaking paper cut, for Yondaime's sake," Ten Ten sighed, finally wrapping a long strip of tape around the paper flower she was making. She threw her paper flower on top of the coffee table alongside with the other finished batch. Picking up another thin wire and blue tissue petal, she eyed the raven – haired boy next to her who was currently busy cutting petals out of tissue paper.

She rolled her eyes. "Sasuke, I still don't understand why we have to do all of this just for that pink – haired hussy's sake. Because she couldn't do this herself, she left you alone to tend her junk! And worst of all, she had that psychotic bastard for a boyfriend who's breathing down your neck since Day 1!"

"I'm doing this not because of her but because Hyuuga burned all of our work into crisp. Curse him, always making things hard for me," Sasuke grumbled as he snipped off some ragged edges on the petal he was working on.

Naruto sighed wryly as he tried to suck the blood off from his finger. "Yeah, Hyuuga Neji for a boyfriend. Who wants that anyway, huh?" Suddenly, an idea popped inside his head. Muffling his giggles, he sidled quietly towards the younger Uchiha who was still busy cutting out petals from pink tissue paper.

Itachi, who was also busy making flowers abruptly stopped and observed from his vantage point that the blond kitsune was planning to glomp his unsuspecting ototou. He sighed as he began to resume his work.

'_Teens these days…'_

On the other hand, Sasuke was entirely focused in shaping the edges of the tissue petal he'd just cut. He didn't notice a shadow looming above him and just when he was about to snip a slightly roughened edge…

"SASUKE – CHAN!"

SNIP!

"EEEYYYYAAHHHH!"

…………

Sakura abruptly woke up from her sound sleep. "Wha…? What was that?" she asked herself. She then looked around the room and after finding out that there were no strange occurrences, she flopped back in bed and resumed sleeping.

…………

Sasuke hissed angrily. He glared at Naruto who was clinging onto his neck. "What do you think you're doing, dobe? Look at what you did to my work!" His petals were snipped off at the center, thanks to Naruto who all of a sudden hugged him from behind.

Instead of getting annoyed by his words, Naruto snuggled closer to him, earning a look of horror from Sasuke and a very scary glare from Ten Ten. "Demo, Sasuke – chan! I want you take a closer look at my pinky." He held out his pinky for Sasuke to see. "See, I got a little boo – boo."

"Get away from Sasuke right now, or you're gonna get it, foxface!" Ten Ten warned.

Itachi only sighed and continued with his work.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at Ten Ten. "No! I'm not getting off of Sasuke – chan until he sees my boo – boo!"

"I'm already looking at it, dobe. Now get off of me or I'll kill you," Sasuke ordered grumpily all the while prying Naruto's arms away from his neck. But the blond pushed his face close to his, so close that their mouths were…almost touching. He even batted his eyelashes prettily at him; the scene was entirely nauseating that Sasuke almost gagged.

"Sasuke – chan, before I get off of you, can you do me a teensy weensy favor?" the blond teen asked sweetly. Sickeningly sweet.

"What?" Sasuke asked curtly. He wanted Naruto to get off of his lap, pronto. They still had hundreds of paper flowers to finish before the school starts.

Ten Ten's face was red. Not from embarrassment, mind you. Her face was red because of anger. Anger because a certain foxface was luxuriating on the lap of a certain Uchiha. And he even asked for a favor, damn it!

"Naruto! Get off of him right now!" she yelled. That was it; she was screaming bloody murder right now! She was now standing and ready to pounce on Naruto anytime now. The blond only snickered and nestled closer to Sasuke's body.

Sasuke glared down at Naruto, already teed off at his actions. "All right! Just tell me what your damn favor is so that we could get back to work now!"

"Ehehehehe…I thought you'd never ask, Sasuke – chan," Naruto said coyly. He grinned evilly, his blue eyes crinkling with mischief as he leaned closer to Sasuke's ear and whispered loud enough so that Ten Ten would hear.

"Sasuke – chan, can you kiss my boo – boo?"

All hell broke loose.

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Oh, and I'm no longer sticking to the five part story arc. It was kinda hard for me to put a limit to my stories when I'm having an overload of ideas inside my head. Sorry to leave you guys in a cliffy again! Oh and if you have any suggestions for the festival, feel free to give me one. And also for the pairings because I made quite an unusual love triangle here. Arigatou for the reviews! Ja!

Had to make another question again:

"Did Sasuke kiss Naruto's boo – boo?"


	8. School Affairs 3

Disclaimer: As always, Naruto is still the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

A/N: Anyeong haseo, minna – san! I'm not going to do the 5-part story arc. There were too many ideas inside my head and compressing them into only 5 chapters was rather difficult. The School Festival is a very long arc and I don't want to disappoint the readers. Don't forget to give me a review after you finish this story. You guys rock!

* * *

Chapter 8: School Affairs Part Three

* * *

All hell broke loose.

Sasuke blinked. What the hell? Kiss Naruto's slimy wet pinky? Suddenly, thoughts of unexpected memories swarmed inside his head. Recalling them over and over again brought a bout of nausea in his gut. Standing up stiffly, he placed both arms around the blonde's waist and without word pried him away from his body.

Ten Ten and Itachi blinked as well. Amusement apparent in their faces when they saw Sasuke stood up and successfully pried Naruto off of his body. He then dropped the blonde on the floor with a loud thud. Naruto yelped in pain while Sasuke stared blankly at him.

"Itai! What's the deal, Sasuke – chan? You're so mean! You didn't have to drop me like that you know," Naruto complained, rubbing his sore butt.

Sasuke glared at him. "I'm not mean. And stop acting like a weak clingy girl."

"But you hurt me! Unforgivable!"

"Stop acting like a simpering child, dobe!"

Naruto wiped imaginary tears from his big blue eyes. "How could you, Sasuke – chan? Why are you doing this to me? I admired you ever since we were butt naked and in diapers. Is this how you treat your childhood soulmate?" he sniffed.

Soulmate?

Silence crept the entire room. Ten Ten's ears turned reddish pink. Itachi fanned himself while busily picking out which color should he use next. Sasuke on the other hand looked like he was going to faint.

"That's it! I'm going to beat you into a bloody pulp, foxface!" Ten Ten screeched, pouncing upon the hapless boy. Sasuke and Itachi immediately stood up and restrained her, suddenly feeling a sense of pity for Naruto.

"Stop! Let's just continue the flowers and forget that this ever happened!" Sasuke yelled through Ten Ten's swearings and Naruto's pleas.

Ten Ten would not back down. "No! He's gone too far, Sasuke! Let me kick his ass!"

"You're mean, T! How could you? We're supposed to be friends. And you're lucky that Suke – chan is clinging onto you," Naruto whined in a shrilly voice while hiding his face with his arms.

Steam shot out of her ears. "Don't call him Suke – chan!"

Sasuke sighed as he firmed his grip on her. "All right, that's enough. Stop it, Ten Ten."

Again silence filled the entire room. Naruto and Itachi blinked while Sasuke remained deadpan. Ten Ten stopped struggling and was now standing stiffly. She registered his words plaintively inside her mind.

Ten Ten.

He called her Ten Ten.

After recovering his wits, Naruto stood up beside her and tapped her forehead with his knuckles. "Uh – oh. Guys, it looks like she's completely frozen."

"Frozen? What the hell!" Sasuke grunted as he moved in front of her and shook her by the shoulders. "I forgot that calling her by her real name was taboo! Geez, snap out of it, T!"

While the two teens are busy reviving their friend's consciousness, Itachi heaved a very long sigh. "Kids," he muttered under his breath as he finished taping a red petal to his flower.

* * *

4:30 AM

Itachi yawned as he stared at the wall clock above him. He turned back to his task at hand, and then stared at the numerous paper cuts he received from the tissue paper. After putting his finished paper flower on top of the pile, he glanced at his brother who was still making paper flowers.

"Aren't you going to take a break, Sasuke? It's already 4:30 in the morning. Naruto and Ten Ten are already lounging in the sofas, why don't you join them as well?" he asked.

Sasuke shrugged as he picked a petal and wrapped it around the wire. "I can't. I have to finish this or Shikamaru will kill me."

"Baka. You're the one who's killing yourself. Take a break once in a while," Itachi replied flatly as he stood up from where he sat and stretched his legs. He eyed one particular door at the end of the hallway. "Shall I go check on your guest?"

His ototou shook his head no. Itachi said something about heading to the kitchen to make coffee. When his brother disappeared into the kitchen, Sasuke lowered his head and abruptly stopped from his work. _'Kuso, a hundred paper flowers more to go. By this time, I'm sure she'll be able to do this by herself,'_ he thought smugly. He quickly finished his paper flower and put it on top of the pile.

Sasuke then stood up and winced when he felt a stinging sensation in his left foot. "Damn, my foot got numb," he said sardonically. He stomped his foot for several minutes until he felt nothing but tenderness. Walking slowly, he trudged back to his room next to the room where Sakura stayed for the night.

Pausing for a moment, he pressed his ear against the oak – paneled door and listened for any signs of rustling or racket. When he heard none, he yawned then entered his room, closing the door with a soft click.

On the other hand, Itachi exited from the kitchen, surprised that his ototou was no longer in the living room. "Probably went back to his own room and sleep," he muttered coyly, casting a sleepy glance at the two sleeping people on the sofa. He walked back to his own room, relieved that finally, he would get his own sleep as well.

…………

5:00 AM

The first faint rays of the sun greeted Sakura's sleeping face. She cracked one eye open then the other. "W – What happened?" she asked herself as she sat up from the bed. She eyed the pale blue surroundings, the realization finally sinking in. "I forgot. I slept here last night," she said to herself.

She swung her legs on the side of the bed, running her fingers through her disheveled hair. Sakura stood up from the bed and stared at her face from the mirror on top of the dresser. She took careful notice of the purple bruise on her left cheek, her red – rimmed eyes and the dark circles under it. "I look horrible," she muttered wryly as she averted her gaze from the mirror and sat back on the bed.

Her thoughts traveled back to the events yesterday, starting from the moment when Neji hit her. Her hand went up to her bruised cheek and sighed. That wasn't the first time he hit her. Usually, his reasons for hitting were small --- like for not following his orders, for not agreeing with him, to not wearing the attire he likes, up to the point of accidentally forgetting their anniversary.

After being hit, Sakura would usually head straight back to her own house. She would then run upstairs to her own room and eventually cry her eyes out for the whole night. Afterwards, she would not go to school the following day, afraid that Neji would ignore her in the open and pretend as if nothing had happened. She curled herself into a ball and sank back into bed.

"I wonder if Neji really loved me at all. I think he wanted to keep me because he needed to pour his anger out to someone. I don't know if the decision I made for the last four years is wrong…" she mumbled to herself, the tears coming back again.

Suddenly the door burst open and she screamed. She immediately flung her arms to cover herself and cast a glare at the intruder. Her green eyes changed from anger to relief when she found out that it was none other than the rude raven – haired boy she encountered last night.

"Uchiha – san…" she began. Mindful for her lack of modesty, she sat up straight and gave a sheepish smile at the teen. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know that you're about to enter the room. I mean, you didn't knock and all that's why I…"

"Breakfast is ready," he replied flatly and before she could respond to his words, he closed the door.

With her mouth hanging open, Sakura stared at the door. Despite the rudeness he displayed earlier, somehow she didn't feel unnerved or annoyed at him unlike before. She combed her fingers through her hair, attempting to straighten it, then stood up from the bed and fixed her clothing, smoothing the creases that were formed during her sleep. Before opening the door, she mouthed a quiet "Thank You".

* * *

In the dining room…

"Well?" Itachi asked with one eyebrow rose up in question.

"She's coming," was all he said as he plopped down in his seat and helped himself to a bowl of rice. His older brother sighed as he sat down as well and began to eat. Shortly after, they heard light footsteps coming from the end of the hall; Sakura's flushed face peeked at them from the doorway.

"Anou…" she began.

"You're just in time for breakfast, Haruno –san. Why don't you take a seat and start eating?" Itachi stood up from his seat and gestured for Sakura to sit next to Sasuke who seemed not to mind the pink – haired girl who was in the same room with him.

Sakura blushed. "Thank you." She sauntered towards the unoccupied chair and plopped down next to Sasuke.

Itachi handed her a bowl of steaming rice and a pair of chopsticks. "Well, time to eat." He sat back on his seat and resumed eating.

"**Itadakimasu**," she muttered quietly. She picked up a small clump of rice with her chopsticks and put it inside her mouth. 'Delicious…' she happily thought as she chewed, unmindful of the stares she was receiving from the other occupants of the room.

Sasuke clapped his two hands together and muttered, "**Gochisousama**". He picked up his bowl and stood up to place it on top of the sink. After leaving the bowl at the counter, he left the dining room.

When he was out of earshot, Itachi sighed. He slurped his miso soup then remarked, "That brat, he's so shy."

"Is he?" Sakura asked, intrigued.

The older Uchiha grinned. "Aa. Though he doesn't show it, I can see in his eyes that he's fond of you, Haruno – san."

Sakura slurped her own bowl of miso soup. Sasuke – san fond of her? Itachi – san must be kidding. If Neji finds out that Sasuke – san was having an interest on her…all hell would break loose. "I'm sure that's not what Sasuke – san thinks about me. He's…he's too…"

"Conceited? Arrogant? Pompous?"

"Rude."

Instead of responding, Itachi muttered "Gochisousama" and put his chopsticks on top of the bowl. He then poured himself a cup of tea and took a long drink. "True. But you're the first girl he ever encountered, Haruno – san. He's really elusive when it comes to the opposite sex; I almost thought he was gay."

"I heard that!"

Sakura suppressed her giggles when they heard Sasuke's voice boomed from the hallway. They heard the front door being opened and then slammed shut, indicating that the rude Uchiha – san already left. Itachi heaved a sigh as he stood up from his seat and prepared to clear the table.

"Let me help you," she offered.

Itachi shook his head. He turned on the sink and started to wash the dishes. "It's all right, Haruno – san. But shouldn't you be at school right now?"

Sakura's expression turned gloomy. "I…I'm not really needed at school right now."

"Oh?"

She beckoned the older guy to listen further to her. "Itachi – san, can I tell you something? It's my own little secret."

Itachi leaned forward so that he was in eye level with her. "Go on."

"I…" Sakura cleared her throat. "Anou…"

"Well…?"

"I…" She closed her eyes.

"You…?"

"I have a huge crush on somebody."

The older Uchiha nodded. "Who?"

"The rude Uchiha – san."

The plate he was scrubbing fell to the sink.

* * *

Konoha Academy…

At the school grounds…

7:00 AM

Sasuke stretched his sore muscles after he finished tacking up a couple of banners on the school's main gates. As usual, he got dumped inside the trashcan and got hanged onto the school's flagpole. He adjusted his thick glasses, wondering when he would get them compressed.

"Oi, nerd boy."

He turned around to find Shikamaru staring at him with that bored expression of his. Sasuke put down his tools as he regarded Shikamaru with a wary glance. "What is it?" he asked.

"The paper flowers." The bored guy reminded him.

Paper flowers. He almost forgot. Sasuke jerked his finger towards the direction of the school. "I left them at the rooftop."

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome. We're about to use them as decorations for the stage. If you're finally finished with the flowers, please give them to Hinata as soon as possible."

Instead of answering, Sasuke shrugged and trudged back to school.

* * *

11:15 AM

Sakura sat on one of the lounge chairs in the Uchiha living room. She tucked her knees under her chin and counted the hours that passed since school started. _'They must be decorating the stage by now…'_ she sadly thought. _'I didn't want to abandon my part but…I'm not ready to face Neji. Not just yet…'_

"Haruno – san?"

"Itachi – san." She then looked up to see Itachi walking towards her, a tray of drinks in his hand. He set the tray on top of the coffee table then handed her a cup of tea. Sakura brought her legs down, a smile crossing her lips and accepted the cup. "Arigatou, Itachi – san."

He took the other cup and sat down on the sofa next to her. "You must be practically bored. I apologize that our house provided little to no entertainment. It has always been this way ever since Sasuke and I first moved here."

Sipping her tea, Sakura looked at him with curiosity. There was one particular question she was dying to ask him. "Itachi – san, umm…are the rumors true about…"

"About my rehabilitation?"

To her surprise, she nodded.

"Jeez…they're really on to me aren't they?" Itachi leaned back against the headrest of the sofa, eyes staring upwards. "Aa. I was put under rehabilitation for 5 years because that's what my otousan wanted. They thought that I was under the influence of drugs and you know what? They're right. But I'm not really that addicted. I just got sick of them pushing me around."

Sakura stopped from drinking her tea. "But what about Sasuke – san? What happened to him after you've been put under rehabilitation?"

"Well, since they've lost a good marionette, they decided to train another one. After five years, they finally completed attaching the strings to his body; making him the complete replica they'd expected him to be." Itachi intertwined his fingers together, locking them tightly. "They thought that making Sasuke do all the things that I did before would change nothing. But they were wrong."

Sakura nodded. This was one family secret she never wished to listen.

Itachi smiled faintly. He remembered a vague memory from his younger brother's childhood. "When he was young, Sasuke always wanted to play at our backyard. One time, he avoided his tutor and sneaked outside. Okasan upon finding out that he disappeared went hysterical. They all thought that he got kidnapped."

In her imagination, Sakura imagined a little boy dashing madly towards the vast gardens of the Uchiha mansion. Closing her eyes, she savored the thought. "Sasuke – san must be a pretty robust boy when he was young, Itachi – san," she mused.

"Robust? Aa, but he only ended up playing imaginary Hide and Seek. He hides while we seek. I found him of course crouching underneath a rosebush with all the thorns sticking out from his clothes." The older Uchiha sipped his tea. "He looked like a mischievous little porcupine. Well, when you come to think about it, he does look like one with his spiky hair."

Itachi continued. "Sasuke was laughing when I found him. He was quite an impulsive brat. Okasan was crying when I finally brought him back inside the house. Sasuke was still laughing, bragging to everyone how we didn't find him easily from his hiding spot. Everything was all right. Then, Otousan appeared."

"Your otousan…?"

"After finding out what happened, he punished ototou. The next day, Sasuke didn't come out of his room. Okasan was unaware of the events, which occurred between him and Otousan. Even the maids were also clueless. For two straight days we only heard sounds of crying on the other side of his door. Nothing more."

Sakura felt a sharp pain in her heart. She clutched her chest. "That was awful. I never expected your father could do such a thing to Sasuke – san."

"Well, looks can be deceiving." Itachi closed his eyes. "That night, I finally decided to burst inside his room to find out what really happened. When I entered Sasuke's room, there was no sign of him. I started to check every nook and cranny, even the windows. Just then, I heard whimpering sounds coming from under the bed. I crouched down to look under it and there he was."

"He had been hiding under the bed for too long, afraid that otousan would hurt him again. It took me an hour to convince him to come out of the bed. After bathing him and filling his stomach with food, I began to ask him why he didn't come out of his room. Sasuke was silent, until I noticed something awfully peculiar."

Sakura raised a brow.

Itachi drained his cup and placed it on the coffee table. "I raised his arm to take a closer look. I saw reddish burns on his skin. His other arm also bore the same marks and there was only one thing that came to my mind that night. Otousan turned Sasuke into a human ashtray as punishment."

He ran his hand through his raven locks. "Poor kid. He was only seven at that time. That was also his first major emotional trauma. Years later, I underwent rehabilitation and since then, I lost contact with him. When I finally saw him, he completely changed. He was void of any emotions, he rarely smiled and his movements were fine and precise. I wanted him to experience a normal life so I left the mansion taking him with me. And now, here we are."

"It's too…traumatizing. No wonder Sasuke – san is so…bitter."

Itachi snorted. "He's always bitter. It's just that…he doesn't know how to mingle with people anymore. If there's only something I could do to help him with this little problem of his…"

Sakura raised a hand. "Maybe I can do something about him, Itachi – san!"

"Huh?"

She flashed Itachi an "okay" sign. "Don't worry! Just leave everything to me!"

* * *

12:30 PM

At the school rooftop…

Sasuke finished taping the petal to its stem. He tossed the paper flower inside the cardboard box. "Whew, fifty more to go," he groaned as he picked up another wire and tissue petal. He stared at the blue sky above him. "Wonder what that stupid 'nisan is doing with that girl right now."

"Yo! Looks like you're almost done, Suke – chan!"

Turning around, Sasuke groaned when he saw Naruto standing at the doorway, a wide grin pasted on his face. "What do you want, Naruto?" he asked dryly.

Naruto sat cross-legged in front of him. "Is it bad to visit my Suke – chan at this time?"

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Stop adding monikers to my name, dobe."

"You're so cruel!" Naruto exclaimed, feigning innocence. His blue eyes traveled down to the paper flowers Sasuke was making. He picked one red flower and held it in front of Sasuke. "So, how's it going? By the way, T told me that she saw Hyuuga prancing along the halls without his girl. I heard rumors that she and Neji had a big fight yesterday then Poof! She suddenly disappeared."

"Maybe she couldn't take the abuse anymore," Sasuke retorted and snatched the flower from Naruto's hand and put it next to the rest of the pile.

Naruto sighed. "Perhaps. So teme, I heard from Itachi – san that you're going to attend the festival wearing normal clothes," he whispered quietly.

The raven – haired boy shrugged. "He told me I should take a break from my gawkiness."

"Great! Then you can enjoy the festival with us without worrying about those bullies!" Naruto snapped his finger in emphasis.

"I can't disappear just like that, dobe." Sasuke stood up then started counting the flowers just to make sure it was complete. After several minutes, he fingered one blue flower and tossed it back into the cardboard box.

Five hundred.

Afterwards, he removed his glasses, using his sleeve to wipe sweat from his forehead. Eyeing Naruto who was still waiting for his answer, he sighed. "Chouji and the others assigned me to do all the cleaning at the end of the festival."

"So? You can do that **after** the end of the festival."

"They're expecting me to be there, dumbass. I'm supposed to be hanging out all over the place."

Naruto slapped a hand dramatically over his forehead. "Oh right. You're the janitor. Good thing I'm with the food committee. I wonder how T is faring."

"Ten Ten is in good hands. She's put under the jail booth committee."

"That's even worse. She might arrest me for having a crush on you!"

Sasuke bonked him on the head. "Har – har – har. Quit it, kitsune. You're already way over your head."

Naruto stuck a tongue out at him. "Ow! Whatever. So, are you ready to give those to Shikamaru? He's been mumbling troublesome words all day! And he's certainly looking forward to seeing those flowers on stage."

"I'm about to do that." He tried lifting the box but it wouldn't budge. Sasuke glanced at Naruto with a smirk on his face. "Sou dayo, Naruto. Can you help me?"

The blond boy crossed his arms. "Yada. Why should I do it? Where's your partner?"

"Apparently missing in action. Now help me or I'll kick you in the ass."

"Why don't you just kiss my ass instead?"

Instead of answering, Sasuke kicked him hard on his butt.

* * *

3:00 PM

Konoha Academy…

Back at the rooftop…

Sasuke stared below at the booths that were all set up and decorated. As for him, he finished all of his chores even the scrubbing of toilet seats in the men's restroom. "What a day," he muttered to himself at the same time removed his glasses.

The door to the rooftop suddenly opened and Sasuke quickly put his glasses back on. He turned his head and swallowed when he saw a familiar pink –haired girl panting from the doorway. "H – Haruno – san…?"

"Finally, I knew you'd be here." Sakura heaved a few gasps of breath then smiled at him. With hands clasped behind her back, she walked towards him. Her soft pink tresses were blown lightly by the wind as she neared him. Her expression turned sad. "Anou…gomene."

He blinked. "For what?"

"For…um…for what happened yesterday."

"I don't understand."

Sakura frowned. "You must have heard of my disappearance from the kids here at school. Well I…I just ran off somewhere last night and I…but I'm all right now." She stared at him, peering through his thick foggy glasses. "And also…I wanted to apologize to you because…"

"Because?"

"…Because Neji burned all of the paper flowers we made yesterday." Sakura blurted out. Her tears streamed down her face. "It's my entire fault! I'm so sorry! I promise, I'll do my best in finishing all five hundred of them today! Please don't be mad! I'll explain everything to Shikamaru! I'm sorry!"

Instead of answering he only stared at her. Afterwards, he turned away from Sakura, leaning against the railings. "All right. Stop. You don't need to babble everything to me." Running a hand through his slick black hair, he almost forgot that he was supposed to play the part of a nerd.

He dropped his hand to his side. "I understand. When I arrived here, I noticed the burnt pieces of tissue paper next to the water tank. The first thing I thought was that it was Chouji and his gang who did it but," he cleared his throat. "I didn't expect that the perpetrator would be your boyfriend, Haruno – san."

Sakura lowered her eyes. "I know." She bit her lip.

"But don't worry about it. I finished all of the flowers. And I already gave them all to Shikamaru. To save you from his boring lectures, I even added that we finished all of them overnight." Sasuke sighed as he glanced at his watch. Almost time for the school to end. "Is there anything else that you wish to ask me, Haruno – san?"

Sakura was stunned. "I…" Unbelievable. He finished the paper flowers all by himself? Impossible! But staring at the teen in front of her, she began to wonder what kind of eyes he was hiding under his glasses. Nevertheless, she was still impressed.

This boy that she only met yesterday…he was a mystery.

She had to return the favor. After all, the nerd boy didn't do all of the work just because she asked him to. She was guilty for not being there to help him. Deep inside, she knew that he got scolded by Shikamaru and was forced to work double time on the flowers.

Suddenly an idea popped inside her head.

"I know!" she exclaimed, throwing Sasuke off guard. She smiled prettily at him. "Do you have plans or something after school?"

"No."

"Great!" she said then clapped her hands. "Want to go with me to the ice cream shop? My treat!"

"I…" Sasuke rolled his eyes. Was this girl nuts? Did she really want to get whipped by Neji? "Your boyfriend would get mad if I let you treat me, Haruno – san."

"No! He wouldn't! I mean, why would he?" she asked back, but her voice trailed off. Of course, even though she was still in a fight with Neji, she was still aware of his extreme sense of jealousy. Surely Neji wouldn't mind if she invited a friend, particularly a nerdy – male friend, for ice cream now would he?

"He would get mad, Haruno – san. Judging from his superiority here in school, I'm sure that he'll go bonkers once he finds out you've been hanging out with someone like me." He gave a wry smile. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get going. And I also think that you need to go home as well."

She was puzzled. "Why?"

Sasuke pointed a finger at her clothes. Sakura looked herself over and she immediately blushed when she saw that she was wearing boy's clothes. She offered an apologetic look then excused herself, leaving him alone standing baffled at the rooftop.

Sasuke sighed. That girl was way beyond weird.

And interesting. Way too interesting.

Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Wait! Was she wearing my clothes just now?"

* * *

7:00 PM

Itachi cracked two eggs in a bowl and starting beating them. Hearing the front door being slammed shut, he sighed. "Oi, ototou. For the fifteenth time, please don't slam the door."

Sasuke's head popped from the kitchen's entrance. "Whatever. What's for dinner?"

His older brother didn't look at him and continued beating the eggs. "A tomato dish."

"Hn." Sasuke muttered then walked onwards to his room. Inside, he changed his clothes into something more comfortable. The doorbell rang. He cursed then went out of his room to answer the door. Yanking it open, his eyebrow rose up.

"What do you want?" he asked a matter-of-factly.

Outside, Sakura blushed furiously under his gaze. She held out a brown paper bag in front of him. "Here. I'm sorry that I borrowed the clothes. Itachi – san told me it was okay so I…"

"It's perfectly all right. Thank you," Sasuke replied and snatched the bag from her hands. When Sakura showed no signs of leaving, he sighed. "Did you forget something inside?"

"Um…no! It's just that I…"

Out of nowhere, Itachi appeared behind him with a ladle in his left hand. "Ototou! Are you scaring the mailman again? I already told you many times that the mailmen are…" He suddenly stopped talking when he saw Sakura standing outside the doorway. "Haruno – san! What are you doing there?"

"Um…good evening, Itachi – san. I was just leaving," Sakura bowed her head and was about to leave when a hand grabbed her delicate wrist. She yelped, her eyes locked with its onyx counterpart.

"Come with me," Sasuke said immediately, dragging her with him as he stepped outside the house.

Itachi stood speechless by the house's main entrance, but nonetheless waved his ladle as if shooing the two away. "Don't forget! Be back by dinner or I'll make you eat rotten tomatoes, ototou!" he yelled at them, seeing his brother's back tensed up.

He smirked as he went back to his cooking. _'She'll take care of him.'_

…………

They rounded up to another corner when Sasuke finally let go of her hand. He ran his hand nervously through his hair all the while trying hard to come up with something to say.

Sakura glanced at him, curiosity evident in her features. "Uchiha – san…I…"

His eyes bored into hers. She swallowed. "I – Is there something wrong, Itachi…no…um…S- Sasuke – san?"

She sighed in relief when he didn't flash her with his impenetrable stare. "No…I didn't mean to…uh, whatever," he spoke flatly as he stared at her once again. "What were you doing outside of our house?"

Her brow crinkled. "Oh…I was just returning the clothes I borrowed from Itachi – san when you…"

"Those were 'my' clothes. That stupid brother of mine, no wonder my closet was in disarray when I came home."

Sakura squeaked. "I – I didn't know about that! I apologize, Sasuke – san! I…"

"Never mind," Sasuke cut off abruptly. He stared at her again. It was starting to become a habit. "Anyway," he began. "Itachi warned me to be nice to you or else he will have my head. So, is there something that you want to ask of me, Haruno – san?"

"I…" Sakura clasped her fingers together. Now's her chance!

"Sasuke – san…there's this um…in our school and I was hoping…"

He raised a well – arched brow in confusion. "What?"

Sakura took a deep breath. "O – Our school's having a festival tomorrow and I was wondering if you would…like to come with me."

She could have sworn she saw a vein throbbing in the Uchiha's temple. He blinked once, then twice. His onyx eyes widened and based from the pink – haired girl's observations, he was shocked. She played with her fingers nervously. "S – Sasuke – san?"

Before Sasuke could open his mouth to speak, they heard loud footsteps trudging towards their direction. Finally it stopped and both teens glanced at the newcomer. The moonlight spilled on the three and Sakura could not believe her eyes at whom she saw. The newcomer had big brown eyes with brown hair tied up into two buns. Her pointer finger was directed towards them.

"Y – You're the girl from our school!" Sakura exclaimed.

The girl snorted. "You're the pink – haired hussy! What the hell are you doing with Sasuke?"

* * *

A/N: Yay! Chapter 8 is done! I apologize for the late update because my beta reader is having apoplexy because of hospital duty. Just kidding! Actually it's because of the summer heat! Anyways, time for another question and answer portion. Still the same, the more the reviews the faster the updates! I need the answers right away!

"What do you think will happen after Ten Ten's outburst?"


	9. School Affairs 4

Disclaimer: Naruto is still Kishimoto Masashi's property, all right?

A/N: Hello again, minna – san! I'm now in my ninth chapter and I'm shocked to see so many reviews! The story started not so good at first but it's nice to know that everyone reads it. Enjoy the next chapter!

By the way, when I was browsing the reviews I came across a comment about my usage of dashes. Well, I use the dashes for emphasizing honorifics like "– san" or "- chan" in the story to make it formal and neat. Don't worry, I promise to minimize the dashes to suit the readers' taste. Please bear with me. Well, enough of those and let's move on to the story!

* * *

Chapter 9: School Affairs Part Four

* * *

"You're the girl from school!"

"You're the pink – haired hussy! And what the hell are you doing with Sasuke?"

"I'm not doing anything! And how dare you address me with such informality!"

"Why, you bitch!"

Sasuke sighed. Of all the worst things to ever happen…

…………

Ten Ten's nose flared. Her nails dug on the soft flesh of her palms as she gave Sakura a menacing glare. Sakura may have fooled Neji with her wily charms but she will prevent the pink – haired girl from taking Sasuke as well. She will kill the hussy if that happens.

And that is exactly what's going to happen to her right now.

"Get away from Sasuke or else I'm going to kill you bitch," she warned dangerously.

Sakura's green eyes flashed defiantly. "For the second time, I'm not doing anything to Sasuke – san! Why don't you believe in everything I say?"

Ten Ten stomped towards them. "Because you're nothing but Neji's little toy! That's what!"

"I'm not Neji – kun's toy! Stop calling me that…you…you…"

"I'm what? Are you afraid of muttering curses, sissy?"

Sakura's pink head twitched. That's it. No one messes with her and calls her a sissy.

Sasuke was stunned. Never had he seen Ten Ten get so fired up. And from the looks of things, she's on the verge of wiping Haruno's existence from the face of the earth.

He instantly smacked himself. _'Baka. What am I thinking? She's going to kill Haruno that's for sure. I have to stop her.'_

"All right, that's enough," Sasuke intervened, pushing his body in between the two women. Seriously, out of all the worst things he never wanted to encounter was to be involved in a catfight.

Especially in a girl catfight.

* * *

But the girls were already heated up and ready to pounce each other. Ten Ten got into her fighting stance, while Sakura just glared at her with her fists clenched tightly.

Again, he tried to stop the girls from whatever they were about to do. "T! That's enough! You don't have to fight her!"

Ten Ten snarled. "Unfortunately, this little prim missy needs a little lesson about discipline. You stay out of this or you'll get hurt, Sasuke!"

He sighed as he slowly stepped away from them. The last thing he needed was to get punched by her.

The brown – haired girl licked her lips. "Ready, bitch?"

Sakura only glared at her.

On the other side of the alley…

"Geez! Where the hell is she? I only told her to get me something to eat," Naruto groaned as he scratched the back of his head out of irritation. He then turned on his heel and ran to the opposite direction, hoping to see any signs of Ten Ten.

…………

CRASH!

Sasuke's hands flung out to cover his eyes. Next, he heard a blood curdling scream and a body crashing against the garbage can. Spreading his fingers apart slightly, he winced as he saw Sakura trying to stand up due from the hit she received from Ten Ten.

'There's no way she could withstand Ten Ten's attack. Even Naruto and I are afraid of her strength,' he smugly thought.

Ten Ten balled her right fist. With a loud cry, she charged towards Sakura, aiming at her face. The other girl barely managed to dodge; the attack slightly grazed her cheek. Using her left shoulder, Sakura rammed Ten Ten at her abdomen. The impact caused the girl to stagger backwards, landing on her butt with a loud thud.

Sasuke blinked. 'Whoa. Not bad at all.'

Ten Ten coughed while clutching her waist with one arm. "You're pretty good…for a bitch."

Sakura finally steadied herself and smirked. "I'm not weak. You're the only person who thinks I am."

"Whatever. Sorry hussy, but I'm about to bring you down." Ten Ten cracked her knuckles.

She braced herself as the other girl made her move. Ten Ten swung a leg forward, in an attempt to lose Sakura's balance but she managed to leap safely away from the attack. She landed nimbly on her two feet when Ten Ten suddenly appeared behind her.

"What…the?" she never got to finish as Ten Ten pummeled her from the back and she toppled face first on the ground with a loud SPLAT! Sakura's face scrunched up when she realized that Ten Ten knocked her over a rotten pile of banana peels. Pretty disgusting, I tell ya.

"Ten Ten's pretty serious," Sasuke mused, seeing Sakura's heavily smudged face. Bruises started to form and marred her pale complexion. He ran a hand through his hair. Sweat dripped from his forehead. Like it or not, he has to stop the battle.

Before one of them gets hurt.

Well, apparently, Haruno would be the one in danger.

…………

Meanwhile, Ten Ten basked on her victory. She finally succeeded in humiliating the pink – haired hussy right in front of Sasuke. Serves her right, she thought. She already had Neji to toy with and now she wants Sasuke to become hers too? No freaking way. That's why she has to teach her a lesson.

A really hard lesson about life.

"So, ready to give up? You're in no condition to fight, and it looks like your pretty face needs some serious wiping," she drawled. She may not hit Sakura at school but here outside, she had all the rights to. All the dark alleys are considered her territory.

Sakura became quiet.

Ten Ten continued. "If you don't want to be in a serious bad shape, give up now and leave Sasuke alone! You have no right to be with him."

"…………"

"T! That's enough!"

She glared at him. "Shut up, Sasuke! She was already meddling with your life too much. Don't you think you should be annoyed because she follows you around like a sick puppy?"

Sasuke raked his hair with his fingers. "I am annoyed. I'm annoyed because here are two girls right in front of me who are fighting each other just because of a misunderstanding."

* * *

Silence hung in the air.

"Misunderstanding? What do you mean by that?" Ten Ten asked.

He sighed. It was obvious that she didn't know. He made a step towards them. "A misunderstanding. Apparently, Haruno – san is not making any moves on me. We just had a little talk."

"A talk? Asking you out for the festival was a talk? Do you seriously know what that 'talk' means, Sasuke?" Ten Ten asked impulsively.

His brows furrowed. "A conversation?"

Ten Ten almost bit her the inside of her cheek to keep her from crying out of frustration. "No! A **date**! A freaking date!" God, how she wanted to strangle his neck and wring out some sense into him!

Confusion racked Sasuke's mind as he pieced Ten Ten's words together. A date. Was Haruno asking him out on a date? He pondered. Was that she asked him earlier? Was that counted as a date?"

"_There's a festival at our school tomorrow and I was hoping if you could come with me." _

Oh. I see.

"Yes, she asked me about coming to the festival with her but," Sasuke's eyes grew serious, "that's still not counted as a date to me."

Ten Ten screamed inwardly. No, no. Sasuke was not totally getting it. Why is he so dense when it comes to situations like this? "It is counted! What more do you want me to do just to convince you? Don't you see? She's playing you for a sucker, you _baka_!"

His eyes widened slightly.

"Sasuke – san is not stupid," Sakura interrupted weakly. Both teens turned around to see her struggling to get up, her face still smeared with dirt. She wiped her face with her sleeve as she glared at Ten Ten.

The other girl glared back. "So you're still able to stand from my attack? I thought you'd fall back and cry, sissy."

Sakura's expression grew stern. "You may insult me in any word you wish but calling your friend stupid is not a very good thing to do."

"So you're implying that I'm ill – mannered now?"

"Unladylike."

Ten Ten's ears turn red and started to make another move to hurt Sakura. "That's it! I'm going to kill you this time, bitch!"

Sakura didn't make any move to run away from her spot. She just stood there with her hands curled into fists, accepting inwardly the pain she is about to receive from Ten Ten's attack. She closed her eyes.

* * *

Ten Ten finally reached Sakura and is about to impale her sharp fingernails on the other girl's face when a hand shot up and gripped her wrist. Ten Ten turned angrily towards her attacker and her brown eyes went wide as saucers when she saw who it is.

"Sasuke! What do you think you're doing?" she yelled angrily.

He glared at her. "What do you think I'm doing? You're hurting someone out of reason!"

"I do have a reason! Let me go!"

He grabbed her other wrist and held it tight. "No."

"Let go!"

Tired of arguing pointlessly, Sasuke dropped her wrists. Instead, he stood in front of Sakura, shielding her from any attacks of Ten Ten's long fingernails. His onyx eyes were filled with irritation as they bored into Ten Ten's brown ones. He crossed his arms. "Fine. You want to hurt her so badly?"

She was already screaming bloody murder. "Yeah! I'll bloody rip her apart with my fists!"

Sasuke dropped his arms on his sides. "Then come and attack me. Rip me apart with your fists," he ordered coolly.

"What? You know I can't possibly do that to you!" Ten Ten exclaimed, aghast.

He shrugged his shoulder as if it was nothing to him. "It's better this way. You're hurting her with no reason at all. I have to stop you since it was my fault at the beginning. **'_I_'** was the one who dragged her out here in the alley to talk. So you had all rights to be angry. At me, not her."

Instead of accepting Sasuke's answer, Ten Ten tried to sneak past him. She still attempts to inflict pain on the pink – haired girl. In truth, she _had_ her own reasons for hurting Sakura. "Let me at her, Sasuke! She's supposed to be Neji's girl but what is she doing? She's flirting with you!" she growled.

Sasuke grabbed Ten Ten's wrists again and pinned them on either sides of her body. "She was not flirting with me, T. She was just asking something about the Hyuuga brat when you came. Nothing more."

"But…!"

He gave her a dark look. "I told you everything you need to know about the truth. Now, if you really don't want to believe me, then fine. But if you're going to attack Haruno – san again because of foolish reasons, I'm sorry but I'm not going to let you."

Ten Ten lifted her chin up to meet his cool gaze. A part of her wanted to break down right in front of them but the other part of her stopped her from doing so. Instead of releasing all of her pent – up frustration, she pried her wrists out of Sasuke's grasp. Without a word, she bolted from the scene.

…………

Sakura stared at the boy in front of her, unsure of what to say. She saw his shoulders tensing and is about to lift a hand to touch his shoulder when he spoke.

"I'll be right back." And then he went off.

Now standing alone in the alley, the pink – haired girl stifled a sob when she remembered what Ten Ten had said earlier. She was Haruno Sakura. She was Neji's girlfriend, the supposed popular girl in Konoha Academy. The _pink – haired hussy_ as the brown – haired girl had claimed earlier.

She only invited Sasuke to the festival so that she could help him to open up to other people. After Itachi – san told her about his past, Sakura fully understood that he wasn't rude from the beginning. He just didn't want other people to hurt him again. He didn't want others to get hurt because of him.

Dropping down to her knees, she couldn't take the pressure anymore. It wasn't fair. She only wanted to make friends but now, look where it led her. "I almost forgot, I never apologized to that boy about that scene at the cafeteria," Sakura thought sadly.

He even finished all of the paper flowers by himself leaving her with nothing to do. She was grateful and even invited him for ice cream, but he declined, saying that he was afraid of her jealous boyfriend.

Sakura sighed as she stared at the night sky. "I wonder if I would be strong enough to leave Neji's shadow…I envy that girl…she's strong enough to fend for herself. She even earned Sasuke – san's admiration," she thought wistfully.

"She must be pretty lucky that she had Sasuke – san to run after her," she added as a tear trickled down her cheek. "I wish Neji would've done the same thing for me…"

* * *

Ten Ten increased her speed as she did her best to run away from the two people she inevitably encountered. She almost tripped over a banana peel when a hand trapped her wrist.

She shrieked. "What the hell…?" She immediately curled her hand into a fist and smashed it onto the face of her attacker. He yelped in pain and she gasped when she saw the attacker's intense onyx eyes.

"S…Sasuke!" she exclaimed.

Sasuke rubbed the spot where her fist made contact with his cheek. "Tch, as always, your power is still extraordinary."

Now she really wanted to die right then and there. "I…I'm sorry! I didn't mean to punch you!"

"It's all right. I kinda deserved it." Sasuke stared at her. "Care to fill me in?"

Ten Ten blushed. She really didn't know what to say in front of him. Her hands trembled so she curled them into fists. Damn, why does she always experience all these sorts of things whenever Sasuke's around?

"I," she began. What was she to say? Will she be able to gather enough courage to tell Sasuke that she was furious when she saw him and that Haruno girl together?

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "Well?"

"I…I…argh! Stop playing mind games with me, Sasuke! You already know what I'm trying to say!" she ranted.

He crossed his arms. "I obviously don't know. Who knows? I'm such a stupid _baka_ since I don't know what you're trying to say."

Ouch. He got her right where he wanted her.

Ten Ten lowered her gaze on the ground. Even if she tried to defend herself, there was no way she could escape from Sasuke's psychoanalysis. Sasuke took an advance class in Psychology and eventually got an A+ the following year. His mode of expertise was to continuously interrogate people until they turn to mush.

She had no choice but to give in. "I'm sorry, all right? I acted right out of proportion." she shuffled her left foot over her right. "It's just, I thought that that girl was giving you a hard time. You know, bothering ya."

"Too bad, but you're wrong. She was not bothering me. And I'm pretty sure that's not the only reason," Sasuke retorted coolly. She attacked Sakura with a killer intent. There was no way he would've missed that.

"I…" _I like you! Couldn't you see that?_ "I…I was just protecting you from your rabid fan girls! I judged that girl as your fan by mistake. Does that answer your question?" Ten Ten answered sheepishly yet loud enough for him to hear. She saw his brows rose up in surprise and confusion was etched into his face. Finally he nodded, as if that answer was already enough for him.

Sasuke sighed. "Fine. But you owe me one." He tapped his already bruising cheek in emphasis.

"I know! And I'm sorry!"

"Apology accepted. Just don't do it again, Ten Ten."

Ten Ten immediately froze. He called her again by her real name! Sensing her stiffness, Sasuke patted her head. "I was just kidding, T. To tell you the truth, your name doesn't sound that bad at all."

Her head still bowed, she began to mumble. "Uhm…Sasuke…what if…"

Sasuke leaned a bit closer. "Hn?"

"What if," she began and clenched her fists tighter. "What if…what if I told you that I like you what will you say?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Chapter 9 is finished! Sorry for the long wait, but I have to finish all of my summer duties in order for me to face the computer again. Sorry for the short chapter, I dedicate this one to all the readers especially you guys who correctly guessed the answer last time. Yep! They had a girlfight! But like the other chapters, you guys will have to guess again!

"Now that Ten Ten asked Sasuke a question, his answer will be…?"

Sorry to keep you guys guessing! But it's for the good of the story! I'll be waiting for your answers! Thanks for the reviews and suggestions in the last chapter! Ja!


	10. School Affairs 5

Disclaimer: Naruto is Kishimoto Masashi's property.

A/N: Hello again, minna – san! Part 5 of the School Affairs is here! As of now, I'm still indecisive about the pairings and I just finished reading chapter 307 of the manga. Anyways, please enjoy the chapter and don't forget to give me a review after reading this!

* * *

Chapter 10: School Affairs Part 5

* * *

"What if," she began and clenched her fists tighter. "What if…what if I told you I like you; what will you say?" Upon saying those words she blushed again, afraid that Sasuke might take her words as a joke.

…………

He didn't laugh.

Great. She confessed her feelings for him right then and there.

He said nothing.

But to her surprise, Sasuke bent his face closer to her. "Why the hell are you asking me that now? Of course I like you. Did I do something wrong in order for you to think of me that way?" he answered, ending it with a question.

"I…" was he really serious? He liked her? "I…" she smiled through her thick bangs. She was already content with his answer. She swatted his hand that was still on top of her head. "Nah! That was nothing, Sasuke! Just checking you out about somethin'. Why don't we head back now and see what Itachi – san is making for dinner?"

Sasuke blinked but nodded nonetheless.

'_Girls. They're all weird creatures.'_ He mused as he followed Tenten back to the direction of his house. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind and he mentally smacked himself.

He forgot Sakura.

* * *

They were already walking when Naruto who was running all over the place, stopped right in front of them. He panted in disbelief when he saw Tenten standing side by side with none other than his or her desired object of affection.

"Yo! I don't believe you guys! Especially you, T! Why didn't you tell me that you were searching for Sasuke – chan? You little sly," the blond teen feigned hurt as he placed a hand above his chest. Tenten glared as she walked past him.

'Now's my chance,' Sasuke thought as Tenten was finally out of earshot. He spun on his heel and was about to run to the opposite direction when Naruto's hand clamped on his shoulder. He eyed the other boy with a suspicious look.

"What?" he asked.

"Where the hell are you running off to now, Sasuke – chan?"

He shrugged his shoulder from Naruto's grasp. "Nowhere."

Naruto gave him a sly look. "I don't believe you."

Sasuke glared daggers at him. "Then what should I do to make you believe me, you wily fox?"

The blond boy puckered his lips. "Give me a hot torrid kiss!"

SMACK!

"OW!"

Sasuke cracked his knuckles. Damn Naruto!

Naruto rubbed the spot where Sasuke had punched him. "Itai! You're so mean! How could you hit such an innocent and vulnerable being like me?"

He resisted the urge to punch him again. "I hit you where I want to at any time and place, dobe. So stop screwing me around."

Instead of being offended, Naruto smirked. "Ooohhh…didn't know you like being the sadist one, Sasuke – chan. I wonder, what T will react once she finds out about this little secret of yours?"

Sasuke smiled thinly. He wants to play, eh?

Walking towards Naruto, he lifted his chin and tilted it so that their faces were in mere inches. The blond yelped in surprise as Sasuke's lips hovered next to his ear, his warm breath tickling him.

"Leave the game for another time, kitsune. Right now I have to find Neji's pet. I left her back at the alley somewhere when I ran after Tenten," he whispered huskily then let go of his chin.

Naruto's blue eyes widened slightly. He was entirely caught off guard by Sasuke's actions. Suddenly, his eyes lit up when he remembered something. "Oh! Don't worry about Neji's girl, Sasuke."

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked dryly.

Naruto grinned. "I met her at the alley while I was searching for T. She was barely standing and was unable to go back by herself so I walked her home. What happened?"

The raven-haired boy shrugged. "She and T had a fight."

The blonde's blue eyes widened again but this time, out of surprise. "Nani! No wonder Neji's girl didn't stand a chance! So T did a number on her didn't she?"

"Aa. It was an unpleasant sight. And I barely saved Haruno from being clobbered by her."

"Tsk. If Neji finds out that T knocked out his girl, he'll throw a fit and kill every single one of us! What should we do?" Naruto wailed.

Sasuke sighed. "Beats me."

* * *

11:00 PM

In the living room…

Itachi stared at the cooking section of the magazine he was browsing. 'Hm…another way to sauté vegetables without the use of oil…' he mused as his eyes greedily absorbed every instruction shown in the article.

It was then that Sasuke entered the living room. He just came out of the shower and was now drying his hair with a towel. He saw his brother staring oddly at the magazine. "What are you doing, 'Nisan?" he asked wryly.

"Reading."

"Hn," was all he said as he slumped down on the other side of the sofa.

Itachi eyed him at the corner of his eye then reverted his gaze back to his reading. "I heard from Naruto that Tenten attacked Haruno – san."

"Yeah, she did."

He stopped abruptly from his reading. "Did something happen?"

"A simple misunderstanding," his brother answered dismissively.

"Oh." Itachi started reading again. "By the way Sasuke, do you still remember what I told you to do days before your school's festival?"

Sasuke huffed. "I do. And stop pestering me about it. I'm only going to do it because it was your order. And also, for you to stop bugging me."

"Good," Itachi replied and flipped the magazine into the next article. "And aside from my order, I'm also giving you an errand."

"An errand?"

"Yep. An errand. You'll find out tomorrow. For now, get some sleep. Tomorrow's the start of the festival, right?"

Sasuke rose from his seat. "Whatever. Sheesh, you sound just like Okaasan."

Itachi flapped his hand to shoo him away. "We're born out of the same mother, Sasuke. It's pretty obvious that I inherited some of our Okaasan's genes. Now be a good little boy and run off to bed."

"And that same gesture. Eeww…I knew it. You are planning to become a mother someday."

The older Uchiha flashed him a glare and Sasuke trudged to his room. Itachi then heard the door being slammed shut. He resumed back to his reading.

"Poor boy. He is really dense," he smirked.

* * *

8:00 AM

The day of the festival…

"All right! Good morning, my beloved students! This year's Konoha Academy Spring Festival is about to begin!" The head principal's voice boomed from the speakers. Inside the school, he watched his students having the time of their lives from his window.

Students cheered in excitement then dashed to the stalls of their choice. The festival's major attractions were the stalls that had LOVE as their main theme. Apparently, the Kissing Booth, the Blind Date Booth and the infamous Marriage Booth were the current bestsellers.

Ino fanned her face with a paper folded in half. She cast a glare towards the people flanking the Blind Date Booth from across their stall. "The hell! That booth's stealing all of our customers! Why can't they understand that food is more satisfying than love?"

Naruto heaved a sigh as he continued to poke the octopus balls with his metal stick. Making _takoyaki_ was their fearsome leader's idea. Ino stated that octopus balls were less in cholesterol and were okay to eat especially for girls who were conscious of their weight. What made them believe all that she said about _takoyakis_ was beyond reasoning.

Especially since they're the ones doing all the preparations, the cooking, the packaging, with Ino strutting around with her chin up in a haughty manner. "She acts like a dictator while we slave over the hot stove!" Naruto groaned, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. "Sheesh, and it's so hot!"

"Don't burn the octopus balls Naruto or I'll kill ya!"

The blond boy gritted his teeth. "Yes, Madame!" He continued to poke the half made balls, thinking of ways of how to get even with his fellow blonde. Maybe dye her hair bright orange. That would be interesting.

While enduring the scorching heat from the stove, Naruto averted his eyes towards the bright blue sky. A grin made its way across his face. "I wonder how T is faring. She's in charge of arresting all the criminals. I hope she doesn't go too far in that job of hers…"

…………

"You're under arrest! For crossing over the white line!"

"What? But I just sidestepped on it by accident! Don't arrest me, please!"

Tenten gave a loud roar full of authority. She clamped her hand around the victim's upper arm. "According to the rules made by our booth, you are not permitted to cross this line," she explained roughly then jabbed the line she and the person were stepping at with her foot.

The victim, Inuzuka Kiba protested. "I didn't know! The line was so poorly drawn! Even a naked eye could not see it!"

Steam shot out of Tenten's ears. "Pffftt! Insulting an authority's work, now you're really going to jail!" She yanked Kiba by his arm and dragged him towards her booth.

Kiba screamed and tried to pry his arm from Tenten's devastatingly iron hold, knowing that he would spend 15 minutes inside a makeshift jailhouse. And judging from her reaction when he insulted the messily scribbled line beneath them earlier, he would've bet a thousand yen that it was Tenten's work.

She wouldn't give him another 20 minutes sentence if that weren't true.

With Kiba behind bars, Tenten snickered as she headed towards the police desk with a logbook. She wrote the name of her latest catch them stamped her logbook. '25 down,' she thought giddily.

…………

Meanwhile…

Sakura finished adding the last of the decorations onstage. There was a band going to perform in the afternoon and since she was in charge of the decorations…well, let's just say she decorated the entire stage. After putting her roll of tape and scissors inside the box, she dabbed her face with a handkerchief.

"Nice work. You've done a great job Sakura."

She smiled at her leader. "It was nothing, Shikamaru. I had to do my part in the committee. Slacking off was not included in my plan from the beginning."

Shikamaru leaned lazily against the stage's support. "Yeah. You disappeared for unknown reasons. Ino informed me that you and Hyuuga had a fight."

"Not really. It was all a misunderstanding," Sakura answered curtly.

"Whatever. As if burning the entire batch of flowers you made before was a misunderstanding," the pony tailed boy shrugged nonchalantly.

The pink girl closed her eyes. "He's just possessive. It was also my fault in the first place. I should've met him in front of the school. Then all of this would never happen."

The bored guy yawned. "Always this. Always that. Man, you should really have a head for yourself, Sakura. From the way you said those things, you sound like Neji's lapdog." He grabbed the box of supplies and gave her a wink. "Enjoy yourself. We have three days of nothing to worry about."

Sakura thanked Shikamaru for his advice and watched him walk back to school. She glanced back at the stage and stared at her work. Maybe, he's right. She was even forgetting to take care of herself. "I never knew I would sunk this low. From being a sissy to Neji – kun's lapdog, what's next?" she asked herself.

She knew the girl named T was right. She was nothing more but Neji's toy. Even though he announced to everyone that she was his girlfriend, he never showed her any kindness. He even claimed her in front of Sasuke's father as his fiancée, but never once did he ever look her way.

Yet, they never lack in displaying their affections for one another but physical intimacy was not the thing she wanted from Neji. She wanted him to love her in the same way that she loved him. Nothing more.

"I just hope that everything will turn out fine after this day," she consoled herself as she turned her back from the stage and walked away.

* * *

10:00 AM

Students walked in and out of the school. There were also students from different academies like the notorious Otogakure University and the exclusive Kirigakure Academy who dropped by to enjoy the festivities. Everything was going well and the festival all in all was a complete success.

_Yep, everything is fine. The only problem left is…how am I supposed to mingle with the people inside? Stupid brother of mine, I should never have listened to his ramblings._

From his vantage point, he eyed a couple standing not far from him. They were occupied in a heated lip lock and from the looks of things; they were getting ready to take it to the next level. He fanned himself. Of all the stupid things that Itachi had made up for him to do!

_What the hell am I standing here for? All I have to do is to go inside and…mingle. That's it. Just mingle. Mingle…_

He eyed the school's main gate and watched the pink-fringed banner with the words in big bold letters, **WELCOME STUDENTS!** To add it all up, it was also written in bright pink ink.

_Screw Itachi's favor! I have to get out of here and hide! Ow! The sun is starting to burn my skin! I never should have left my glasses at home! Screw that! I never should have agreed to his favor in the first place!_

He cursed as he remembered one particular scene at his house. He and his brother were engaged in a heated battle of wits. Itachi, of course, was in the winning streak.

* * *

Flashback…

"_I'm not going!"_

_Itachi sighed. That was probably his tenth sigh this morning. He pocketed the foggy glasses inside his jeans as he glared at his younger brother. There was no way Sasuke's going outside with these dorky contraptions! He was supposed to spend the day as a normal human being and not as a clown._

_Sasuke stood in front of him, his onyx eyes flashing with annoyance. He sported a dark blue denim jacket exposing the front of his black shirt. He also wore dark blue jeans in faded denim and finished the look with a pair of laced up rubber shoes. _

_Itachi forced his brother to let his hair down into its spiky state and was already satisfied when his brother attempted to ruin the entire look by wearing his hideous glasses._

"_For the umpteenth time, you're not going to wear your dorky glasses! Why don't you feel conscious about your look for once, Sasuke?" Itachi scolded him with venom laced in his voice._

_Sasuke shrugged his shoulder. "I **am** conscious. Which is why I need those glasses. I need to hide my face so that the students there would not recognize me."_

_Itachi flicked a finger painfully at his brother's forehead. "Foolish little brother. It was your fault in the beginning why those fan girls were after you. If you didn't go to that photo shoot three years ago then this would never happen."_

_The younger Uchiha waved his arms in exasperation. "I didn't know that that was a photo shoot! They told me that they're just going to use my picture for the school id! And I'm not foolish!"_

"_Pffftt! You really are foolish. You're an Uchiha for Yondaime's sake. Falling for the _"**_We're just going to use your photo for the school id_**"_ trick! Even Otousan during his times knew when to say no to those vultures!"_

_Sasuke glared at his brother. "So what if I fell for that trick? After that, I learned not to interact with other people that have a camera slung on their shoulders!"_

_The older brother sighed. "Nowadays, people have cameras installed inside their cell phones, ototou." _

"_Whatever. But I'm still not leaving the house unless you give me back my glasses, 'Nisan," Sasuke declared smugly and crossed his arms._

_Itachi almost wanted to pull his hair out because of frustration. His brother was one tough cookie. Well, if Sasuke could not be taken down with simple threats…_

"_You don't want to?" he asked innocently._

_Sasuke remained firm. "No. I'm not going to step outside this house even if you carry me, 'Nisan!"_

_Itachi sighed as he ran his fingers through his raven tresses. "All right. If that's what you want, Sasuke." He walked briskly towards his younger brother. _

"_What do you want now, 'Nisan?"_

"_Aaahhhh! What in the fuck do you think you are doing!"_

_Itachi grabbed his brother by the waist and hauled him up on his shoulder like a sack of rice. "You said that you're not going to step outside the house even if I carry you, ototou. I'm simply trying to find out if that theory of yours works."_

_Sasuke beat his brother's back with his fists. "I'm not kidding, 'Nisan! Put me down!"_

"_Make me." Itachi strode his way towards the front door with his younger brother kicking and screaming like a toddler._

End of Flashback…

* * *

Sasuke hissed as he continued hiding behind the bushes not far from the school. After all that humiliation Itachi had put him through! He squinted at the bright sunlight filtering from his dark space. He also grimaced when he saw his brother's car parked right next to the school's main gate.

He sighed. "I've got to act fast and get this over with. That idiotic brother of mine will not be satisfied unless I get to spend the day inside that school! And also…"

…………

**Flashback** (Again!)

"_What? You can't be serious!" he squeaked. _

_He huddled at the edge of the passenger's seat after hearing what his errand was supposed to be. His brother had that evil smile on his face as he put the car into a halt. Apparently, his stupid brother parked the car right next to the school! Eyeing the number of 'female' visitors entering and exiting the school from the windshield, Sasuke swallowed nervously._

_Itachi turned to face his brother, his smirk unwavering. _

"_I AM SERIOUS. It's just for this day only, Sasuke. You're not going to leave the school unless I see a girl snugly wrapped in your arms. And don't even try to use Tenten on this one or else I'm going to reduce your dorky clothes into ashes."_

_He watched Sasuke clung for dear life on his seat. He smirked widely. There was no way his ototou could run out on this one. What Uchiha Itachi wants, Uchiha Itachi gets. And his brother would surely damn know as hell what would happen to him once his orders were defied. _

_Tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, he made a shooing motion with his hand. "Now get out and have a good time at that festival, Sasuke."_

_Grunting and muttering curses under his breath, Sasuke opened the door and stepped outside the car. He was about to close the door when Itachi called his name. "What?" he asked angrily._

_Itachi grinned at him. "Don't forget to do my little errand or say bye-bye to your prized possessions, ototou."_

_Instead of answering, Sasuke slammed the door shut._

**End of Flashback…

* * *

**

"I have no other choice. Go inside that festival, get hooked up with a girl and show her right in front of my brother's face! Yeah! That's what I'm going to do," Sasuke told himself as he clenched his fists.

_He can do this! He can…He…_

He eyed the school's main gate and saw different sets of girls flanking the stalls.

He huddled fearfully behind the bush.

_No…I can't! I CAN'T!_

…………

11:45 AM

Neji leaned further in his chair as he watched the horde of girls fighting in front of him. As always, girls clustered around him as they tried to get close to him at the same time shower him with money. Why, you ask? Well, he was under the committee who intentionally put up the **Kissing Booth**. Now he was the target of all females at school that were now currently dying to get their hands on him.

"Neji – kun!"

"Give us a kiss, Neji – kun!"

"I'll pay you a 100 yen just for a kiss, Neji – kun!"

"Che," he muttered under his breath. He tucked a hand under his chin as he eyed the girls with distaste. Right now, he was planning a way to get his Sakura back. But these girls were giving him a hard time. His glassy eyes glazed over when he saw his supposed girlfriend passed by the stall and completely ignored him.

"I don't like how things are going on between me and Sakura. I have to get her back before another man makes a move on her," he said to himself. Suddenly, an idea popped inside his head. He then smiled thinly.

Yes. He had a very good plan to get Sakura back.

* * *

**Author's Note:** What do you think of the chapter? Whew! Finally! The festival has begun! And Sasuke is now wearing normal clothes for a change! The problem is, how to get him inside the school and have a good time…well, he can't even escape the school since Itachi's guarding the main gates. Gomene but its now time for you guys to have another guess:

"What is Neji's plan?"

In addition, I'm very grateful to those who're doing their best in guessing the answers. As a token of gratitude, I'm going to dedicate the next consecutive chapters in their names! And also, for those who supported the story in such a long run, I'm adding their names as well! Thank you very much for the reviews and please wait for the next chapter!


	11. School Affairs 6

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi, Studio Pierrot and TV Tokyo. I'm only a humble fan who's using their names for my inane ideas.

A/N: Yay! Chapter 11! For those who supported and reviewed this fic thank you very much! This chapter is dedicated to all of you! Your names can be found at the end of this chapter. Please read and don't forget to give me a review after you're done.

Warning! This is a very long chapter! Reviews, comments and suggestions are a must!

* * *

Chapter 11: School Affairs Part 6

* * *

Annual Konoha Academy Spring Festival

12:00 NN

He eyed the people passing by in and out of the school's main gates. After taking in huge gulps of air into his lungs, Sasuke continued to observe his surroundings with his keen eyes. As of now, he was formulating a plan on how to enter the school undetected and after, leaving the school unscathed.

_Geez, I'm huddling behind this bush for about an hour and a half already! And the worst part of it is that I have to pick a girl to show right in front of my brother's face!_

Sasuke heaved a sigh. No matter what, he has to enter the school. Or Itachi would burn his precious wardrobe into ashes. He stole a glance at the sleek black convertible parked right next to the school's main gate. "Itachi must be laughing his head off by now," he muttered angrily.

Finally, after berating himself for about the hundredth time, Sasuke stepped out from his hiding place. With stiff legs, he forged a straight path towards the main gates. Upon entering the school he swore. This would be the first and last time that he would heed to Itachi's requests.

He started to look around. "Now that I'm here, what should I do first?" he asked himself. Suddenly, a scent of something good wafted through his nose.

"Wow. Food," was all he said as he followed the scent.

* * *

12:35 PM

Naruto groaned as he poked the octopus balls with his metal stick. Customers started flocking their stall by the time the school bell rang at exactly 12 o' clock. Since it was now lunchtime, people began gathering at different food stalls to eat. That would also mean more grunt work for those in charge of the stalls.

And it was not surprising that Ino's Takoyaki stall was now completely flooded with hungry customers.

And Ino, the fearless leader was overjoyed by the number of profits that her committee was about to earn that very same day.

"I want you to make a hundred of those balls! And don't forget to add some spices!" Ino yelled at her subordinates who were busy doing their designated tasks. She began to fan her already sweating forehead with a damp paper towel then turned to Naruto's direction.

"Don't you dare burn those balls again for the fiftieth time Uzumaki Naruto or else!" she barked loudly. Naruto made a noise of utter submission before resuming in poking the balls until it was completely full of holes.

"Damn. Whenever there's a customer, Ino's really all fired up." Naruto commented as he finished cooking his twelfth batch of octopus balls. He then handed the finished batch to his other coworker, a shy and gentle girl named Hinata. "It's now your turn to give them right away, Hinata!" he chirped.

The azure-haired girl squeaked in response as she took over, grabbing the _takoyaki_ with two hands. Naruto exhaled noisily in relief after Hinata left and was about to pour _takoyaki_ batter into the skillet when his blue eyes caught something unexpected.

"What…the?" he never got to finish as he blinked his eyes several times. After opening and closing his eyes for about the tenth time, a grin made its way across his face. "What the hell! I really don't believe this! He's really here!" he exclaimed happily. He waved both of his hands high in the air.

SMACK!

Naruto suddenly stopped from celebrating when his hand slipped and the batter he was holding smacked into someone else's head. He craned his head slowly and he sweat dropped when he saw that the person he hit with the batter was none other than his plucky leader, Ino.

"Naruto…" she snarled.

"W – Wait, let me explain," he began weakly as he tried to his best to avoid Ino's fists.

"DDDDDDIIIIIIEEEEE NNNNNAAAAARRRRUUUUTTTTOOOOO!"

"EEEEYYYYAAAAAHHHHH!"

* * *

12:45 PM

Tenten smirked as she closed her logbook shut. She had gathered a hundred prisoners because they all fell for her "Stepping-on-the-line" trick. She put her logbook back inside the drawer. Her co-workers on the other hand were busy with their own private businesses. She would never have to guess that they were either on the Marriage Booth, the Kissing Booth or the Blind Date Booth.

"I wonder when would this day end. I'm already bored and there are no longer perpetrators stepping over the white line I made," she mused as she continued to watch the people moving to and fro. She groaned when she saw some people purposely avoiding the white line.

Tucking her hands behind her head, Tenten was about to close her eyes when her intense eyes caught something amusing. She immediately stood up from her seat.

"A lawbreaker!" she yelled excitedly as she rushed towards the poor unsuspecting person. She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him hard to face her. "You're under arrest for crossing over the white line!" she announced in her "I'm-the-authority" tone.

The boy in front of her immediately bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry! It's just that… What the…" His onyx eyes suddenly widened out of surprise.

Her eyes widened too. Twice as large as his.

"SASUKE?"

* * *

On the other side of the school…

Sakura finished sipping her tea as she strolled towards the stalls that were selling fashion accessories. Stopping in front of one stall, she decided to see some of the goods and perhaps, buy a little.

After searching for any potential buys, her green eyes caught a glimpse of a white-gold ring. It has a large-cut emerald shaped into a heart at the center and flanked with diamonds. She immediately fell in love with the ring, and decided to ask the seller about the price.

"Excuse me, how much does that emerald ring cost?" she asked.

The seller smiled. "Oh. This ring is only for 17,500 yen."

Sakura immediately took her wallet out of her pocket and began to count her money. Her expression fell when she found out she only had 1,000 yen. "Not enough," she said to herself. She smiled and told the seller that she would not be buying the ring.

Disappointed, she decided to continue her walk. At least, maybe after this day, she'd head out to her favorite ice cream shop at the corner and eat a 100-yen scoop of ice cream. Unfortunately, her day went from bad to worse.

Unknown to her, a solitary figure was watching her from behind.

* * *

1:15 PM

At the rooftop of the school…

Tenten panted as she sank on the concrete floor, her back against the door. Beside her, Sasuke was breathing heavily, his jacket slipping down his shoulder. His knees were bent and his head was tucked in between them. Only the sounds of labored breathing could be heard from both teens.

It was Sasuke who spoke first. "W…What was that all about…?"

She grimaced. "I don't know! I really don't know!"

Tenten sighed as she tried to remember the event, which occurred to them a few hours ago…

…………

**Flashback!**

"_Sasuke?"_

"_Tenten?"_

_Tenten froze. _

_Sasuke mentally smacked himself as he remembered that saying her real name was extremely forbidden. He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her. "I was just kidding! Snap out of it, T!"_

_She returned immediately to her consciousness. She swatted Sasuke's hands from her shoulders and glared at him. "What the hell are you doing here, Su…I mean, Sasuke! Why are you wearing your normal threads?"_

_He shrugged. "I'm wearing this because Itachi – nisan forced me to."_

"_But still! Don't you know that once people especially girls recognize your face they will…you already know what I mean!" Tenten protested._

_Sasuke heaved a sigh. "I know! I got lost because there are too many people here. I couldn't find the dobe anywhere either! I was about to go and ask for directions when you 'caught' me."_

_She ran a hand through her auburn hair tightly wound up into a bun. "What should we do? You can't be seen by them!"_

_He grabbed her wrist. "No choice. You've got to hide me and…"_

"_OH MY GAWD! IT'S UCHIHA SASUKE – KUN!"_

_Both teens glanced over their backs and sweat dropped when they saw girls already clustered behind them. Sasuke recognized two of the girls whom he saw at the supermarket. _

_He sighed. One of the main reasons why he never wanted to wear normal clothes was because of the never- ending showering of affection from the female horde._

_Before he could gather his wits, the girls already encircled him like a pack of wolves to their meat. And before Sasuke could utter Tenten's name, the wolves eventually swallowed him up. He struggled to raise his arm up and waved desperately for help._

"_T! HELP ME!" he cried out._

_Tenten jerked at the sound of his voice. She pushed her way towards him, punching and kicking fan girls along the way. "Move bitches!" she yelled out as she finally caught sight of Sasuke's pale hand that was now almost buried by hundreds of bodies._

"_Sasuke! I'm coming!" she yelled out again, so that he could hear her. She was almost near him when the horde moved again and glomped him. Tenten grabbed him by the wrist just in time and yanked him upwards. Leaping safely from the bodies, they finally escaped and avoided being buried underneath the pile._

**End Flashback!**

…………

Tenten huffed. That wasn't a good memory. But she couldn't help it. She stole a glance at Sasuke who was still not yet recovering due from the onslaught. 'Looks like Sasuke has no other choice but to remain here on the rooftop. This is the only safe place where he could hide,' she mused.

Sasuke raised his head up to look at the clouds looming above him. "This is the worst day of my life. I shouldn't have listened to my brother's ramblings! Look at where it got me!" he grumbled.

Tenten smirked at him. "You have no choice. You're born with looks, Sasuke. No wonder the entire femme fatale is on to you."

"I wish I was born ugly."

"Not gonna happen." Tenten looked at her watch and grimaced. "Great, I have to go back to the Jail Booth and do my job. Looks like I have no choice but to leave you here for a while, Sasuke."

He was busy removing his jacket when she spoke. Confusion marred his features. "What?"

"I have to go back. Shino told me to capture at least a thousand people for today," she said then stood up. Tenten grasped the doorknob and was about to open it when she paused.

"Are you going to be all right from here, Sasuke?"

He only raised a hand.

"Alrighty then," she replied as she opened the door and left.

After Tenten left, Sasuke walked towards the metal railings of the rooftop to view the festival from above. "Now that I 'barely' arrived here in one piece, the next thing to do is to grab a girl and show it to 'Nisan."

He eyed the female population lurking downward with distaste. "Che, this is too sickening. In order for me to mingle with the crowd unnoticed, I have to wear a disguise. But where am I going to find one?" He turned his back and stared at the door Tenten exited earlier.

_"Okay Sasuke, you can do this. It's just for one day. After this, you can go back to your old self. Just wait…just wait…"_

Opening the door, he winced when a slight draft of air prickled his skin. He took a very deep breath then went inside.

…………

2:00 PM

Sakura wiped sweat from her forehead. The weather was awfully hot today. She cast a glance at the people who were busy enjoying themselves. "I wonder if the band is already starting," she asked herself.

All of the sudden, a hand tapped her shoulder. She instantly jumped out of fright and turned around to face her attacker. "Who…what are…" she faltered.

It was Rock Lee, the school's fastest sprinter. "Gomenasai! Did I surprise you, Sakura – san?"

Her heart was still thumping. "Lee – san! You scared the hell out of me! Is there something wrong?"

"No, there's nothing wrong!" Lee's raven eyes crinkled with excitement. He reached out a hand and grabbed Sakura's wrist. The pink-haired girl tilted her head in inquiry.

"What is it, Lee – san?"

Lee smiled at her. "There's someone who would like to talk to you, Sakura – san."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry Lee – san. But I'm not in the mood to talk to your friend."

The bowl-cut boy wagged a finger in front of her. "No, no, Sakura – san! This is very important. He told me so himself! Now come along with me and don't worry. If anything happens to you, I'll protect you with my life!"

How very Lee. Still, when he mentioned about talking to _a_ friend bothered her. Even though what the thick browed young man had said was harmless, Sakura became wary about this surprise meeting. She mentally slapped herself.

"Why would I doubt Lee – san? He only wanted me to meet his friend. Nothing more," she said to herself. And besides, since this was a festival and there were lots of visiting students from different Academies…surely, it wouldn't do her harm if she would be meeting new friends.

She smiled. "All right. Let's go and meet your friend, Lee-san," she said.

Lee gave a loud whoop. He then took her arm and led her to the stalls.

* * *

Back to Ino's Takoyaki stall…

"Thank you, don't come back…I mean, please come again!" Naruto chirped as he handed a bag full of octopus fritters to Inuzuka Kiba. As Kiba accepted the bag, the blond boy couldn't help but notice the purple stamp marks on his arms. "What happened to you?" Naruto asked.

"You mean this?" Kiba asked back wryly. His expression narrowed. "I got this from a psychotic bimbo back at the jail booth. She arrested me for stepping over the white line then stamped me on the arms for twenty times because I insulted her drawing."

Naruto shivered outwardly. He poked the octopus balls to keep himself busy. "Whoa. Tough mess you've got there, Kiba. Looks like Tenten is really serious about her work."

Kiba made a face. "Annoying. It was a good thing I didn't bring Akamaru here at the festival or else she'd arrest me just for bringing a pet."

"Yeah, it could happen. See ya later, Kiba!" Naruto said then waved at his retreating friend. He continued back to his work when his world suddenly turned dark.

_What the hell? First the clouds are sunny and then now… _

"Naruto."

_And now a voice from the grave is calling my name._

"Oi, dobe. Why don't you look up here and stop daydreaming."

_Oooohhh, and that harsh voice. I swear, I heard that voice somewhere… Wait! Is it me or is it getting hot in here…_

_Itai!_

"Hot! Hot! Hot!" he yelped when he felt his face burning alongside the octopus balls he was cooking. He raised his head up to face the person who purposely shoved his face right on the grill. "Who the hell do you think you are…you, you…"

Naruto's eyes widened when he saw a person tightly covered with a black curtain standing right in front of him. He sweat dropped. "Who does this guy think he is? Wearing a cloak even though it's already spring?" he asked himself.

_Wait…this guy called me dobe earlier! Does this mean he's…_

Naruto yanked the black curtain off to reveal onyx eyes and a shocked pale face. "**SASUKE – CHAN**!" he exclaimed as he leapt into the air and landed right into the person's arms.

In response, Sasuke immediately dropped him to the ground with a loud THUD!

The blond teen let out a loud yell and rubbed his sore butt. "Ow! That hurt, Sasuke – chan! As always, you're still that cold and mean boy that I've always loved!"

The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes in annoyance as he adjusted the black curtain around his body. He glanced sideways before turning his gaze back to Naruto. "Hn. You still have energy after all of this, dobe? And here I thought that loudmouth blonde was giving you a hard time."

Naruto stuck a tongue at him. "Heh. And why are you here in your normal clothes, Sasuke – chan? I'm sure that what you're doing is not simply a walk in the park."

Sasuke shrugged as he picked an octopus ball from the skillet and popped it inside his mouth. "Itachi – nisan told me to come to the festival wearing this. And also, I have to get a girl by the end of the day or else he'll burn all of my clothes."

"What? That really sounds like Itachi – san! He really knows how to make devious plans!" The blond grinned slyly. "Maybe I should ask him sometime on how to make you fall in love with me!"

"Don't push it, Naruto. By the way," Sasuke pointed at the octopus balls. "Give me four bags of those fritters."

"Four bags! What are you going to do with them, Sasuke – chan?"

"What else? To eat them, of course."

"All right, if you say so." Naruto sighed as he set back to work. After putting the finished octopus balls inside the bags, he handed them all to Sasuke. "Here ya go. Nice and warm!" he said gleefully.

"Uh, thank you." Sasuke fished money out of his pocket then placed it onto Naruto's outstretched hand. He was about to leave when he heard Naruto call out his name.

"OI, SASUKE – CHAN!"

Sasuke cringed at his loud-mouthed ness. He barely turned to face him, his voice hushed. "What?

Naruto winked at him. "You look kinda **hot** in that new attire of yours! I'm beginning to fall in love with you again!"

And the whole world went into a complete halt.

…………

"Oh my god!"

"It's him!"

"The real thang!"

"It's really Uchiha Sasuke-kun!"

"I want to marry him!"

"Let's get him!"

"Crap! I've been had," the raven-haired teen grimaced when doting, hungry females surrounded him.

Sasuke sweat dropped as all eyes and ears were focused entirely at him. He heard Naruto's snicker in the background and he mentally swore to kill the blond later. But for now, he has to flee for his life. Turning on his heel, he ran to the opposite direction with his four bags of octopus balls.

Oh, and don't forget the _56-person femme fatale_ hounding after him.

* * *

2:45 PM

"Here we are." Rock Lee motioned Sakura to stop as they came face to face with a booth that was covered with white frills and pink lace. The pink-haired girl's green eyes widened a bit when she finally realized where they were.

"What are we doing here, Lee – san?" she questioned. They were now standing in front of the **Marriage Booth**. She first stared at the student in front that was flamboyantly dressed as a priest then at the two people kneeling on the pew with their hands intertwined.

The thick browed teen grinned. "You're going to be married today, Sakura – san."

"What?" she gasped. There is no way she's going to kneel there and marry a complete stranger! Sakura gritted her teeth.

Turning to Lee, she spoke calmly. "I don't believe this. You set me up didn't you?"

He held up his hands in total surrender. "Gomenasai, Sakura–san. But I have to do this. It's my job as a member of the **Marriage Booth Committee**."

Sakura paled. She didn't quite expect that. She sagged against the post supporting the makeshift church. She was getting 'married'. Even though it was a make-believe ceremony, she was no way going to kneel there in front of the pretend cleric and exchange vows with a stranger who was supposed to be her 'husband'.

'_Don't you want that? As silly as it sounds, it's now your chance to have fun! Who cares if it's a pretend ceremony? Maybe the person who requested for you to become his 'bride' must be a real looker!'_ Inner Sakura crowed inside her head.

She sighed. There was no way she could back out on this one. After all, Lee worked so hard to bring her to this place. She gulped. Might as well get this started.

She nodded numbly. "All right, Lee–san. I'm going to do this just for your sake."

Lee let out a loud hoot. He grabbed Sakura's hand and moved it up and down. "Yay! Way to go, Sakura – san! I've always known that you're a good sport! Don't worry, you're going to love the surprise I have in store for you!"

_Surprise?_ Inner Sakura echoed in amazement.

"Good! Now why don't you take a seat right here while we wait for your groom to arrive? The others would be finished soon," Lee suggested, shoving a chair behind Sakura and pushed her down to sit.

The still stunned girl barely nodded. She was too caught up with the marriage jeopardy that she didn't even glance at the retreating Rock Lee.

…………

Outside the school…

Itachi flipped open his pack of cigarettes and took one in his mouth. After lighting it up and taking a drag, he stared idly at the school's main gates. Apparently, his younger brother was not yet showing up. Waiting for almost two hours was shredding away each and every last of his patience.

"Maybe he chickened out and decided to wait until the end of the day so that he could escape," he muttered dryly. "Stupid brother of mine, he's really daring me to burn all of his precious collection."

He finally finished his cigarette, dropped it on the ground and crushed it with his shoe. Tapping his foot impatiently, he decided to take a little nap inside the car. Opening the door, he slumped onto the driver's seat and covered his eyes with his arm.

* * *

Back to Sakura…

"Where did Lee – san go?" she asked herself as she rubbed her arms. She was beginning to get bored and if he doesn't show up soon, then she'd have to leave.

The clock ticked by and still there was no sign of Lee. Sighing, Sakura stood up and prepared to leave when an all too familiar voice called her name.

"Sakura."

She instantly recognized that voice. She swallowed as she craned her neck sideways to look at him.

"Neji – kun."

…………

Neji stood in front of her, his glassy eyes solemn. Sakura shifted sideways in order to make her escape. She was not yet ready to face him. "It's nice to see you again, Neji – kun. However, I really need to leave…" she trailed off as she turned her back on him and started to walk away.

"We need to talk."

She stopped.

The brown-haired Hyuuga strode past her, only to stand in front of her now trembling form. He placed his hands on her shoulders and without word, pulled her to him. Sakura's green eyes widened due to shock.

"Sakura…I'm sorry."

"Neji – kun…"

He buried his face on her shoulder. "I'm sorry…for everything. It's just that I…I…at that time at the rooftop, I got scared of losing you that I became jealous with your friend." He pulled her tighter to him. "Please understand. I did those things because I love you. I love you with all my heart, Saku-chan."

Tears sprang forth in her eyes. Needless to say, she was deeply moved by his words. "No…it's all right, Neji-kun. You don't have to explain yourself. I understand that it isn't entirely your fault."

He pulled himself slightly from their embrace and stared deeply in her eyes. "You're a kind girl, Saku-chan. I'm so blessed to have someone like you. I promise that I will never doubt you again."

Sakura hugged him tightly. Everything would be all right now. The tears trickled fully down her cheek. She automatically raised her hand to wipe them but Neji beat her to it. He brushed it away with his thumb, earning him another blush from Sakura.

Now that everything was going according to his plan, Neji smirked. 'Time to go to Phase Two,' he smugly thought. Dropping down to one knee, he removed something from his pocket and presented it to Sakura who gasped at the sight of it in return.

It was the emerald ring she wanted to buy from last time.

"I know this is kind of early, but there's nothing wrong in make-believe right?" Neji asked teasingly.

Sakura was speechless. _'This isn't happening…'_ she mentally scolded herself.

"Haruno Sakura…"

_This can't be happening…_

"Will you…"

_No way… _

"Marry me?"

* * *

A/N: Sorry! Had to leave you another cliffy folks. I promise, nothing bad will happen to Sasuke (crosses fingers). Well, this chapter is dedicated to the people who never stopped in giving their reviews and support: (in random order). If you can't find your name on this list then I'll post it on the next chapter. As always, reviews and comments are welcome.

**Natsuhiboshi**

**Saki-kun**

**Tishu**

**Sweet Assassin**

**InuyashaHELP**

**Inuyashafangirl333**

**Kawaii-Chibi-Naruto**

**AiraEve**

**Watashi Wa Muryoku**

**Ashwings101**

**-Whoeva.I.Can.B-**

**velii-chan**

**akire11**

**Ragnarok-The Fallen Angel**

**Emily-the-elemental**

**XSakura-chan**

**Sanguine Dreams **

**Ori**

**benjem**

**m.t.dog**

**Nakarame Scarlet**

**Firefly-the-wolf**

**Pookey**

**Sasu-saku forever**

**FunnyAzn**

**KarmaLord**

**Omnikaze**

**Koharu Kage**

**Khaz**

**Sportiegrl**

**Itchinhi**

**Mikota**

**Quiescent Vengeance **

**XxLilyNGxX**

**Shikan**

**Everything you imagine is real**

**Sassy4sasusaku**

**Sakurauchiha12**

**Pinkxraven**

**Hinako89**

**Xinsert-Name-HereX**

**Liddoloner**

**Wingedtdg**


	12. Run, run and cling miserably to life!

Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine. Ya hear?

A/N: I had to change the chapter title. The title "School Affairs" is no longer eye-catching. Don't worry; this chapter is still within the School Affairs arc, I'm just changing the title that's all.

By the way, I also want to dedicate this chap to **Aria's star** (Sorry if I missed ya on the previous chap!) for being there with me during the start of this fic! Thanks for the support, this chap's for you! For the readers out there, please read to your heart's content!

* * *

**Chapter 12: Run, run and cling miserably to life!

* * *

**

_I…_

"Y – Yes…"

He stood up, put the ring on her ring finger then kissed her on the forehead. Sakura smiled up at him, happiness shining in her eyes. "Yes, I'll marry you Neji-kun."

Neji smiled. He took her hand and led her to the makeshift altar where Lee placed a veil on top of Sakura's head. His assistant gave her a bouquet of white roses to complement the wedding look. Finally done, they faced the 'priest' and then began to exchange their 'wedding vows'.

…………

Meanwhile…

Sasuke increased his pace as he felt the thundering sound coming nearer. He glanced behind him and winced when he saw tons of girls obviously running after him.

"Damn, that dobe! How am I supposed to get a girl and escape at this rate? He alarmed the entire female population!" he grumbled angrily as he made a right turn at an accessory stall. He couldn't even find Tenten anywhere to help him!

There was no other choice, he had to go back to the rooftop and wait for the festival to end!

But where?

Where would he go?

Whoever knew that the school grounds were this BIG?

'Probably it's because of the stalls. They transformed the entire grounds into a life-sized maze! Heck, why am I thinking anyway? I better shake those girls off or I'm doomed!' he angrily thought as he made another turn this time, heading to where the **love-themed** stalls were located.

Clutching his bags of octopus balls and the heavy black cloak he used to cover himself, Sasuke sprinted a bit faster this time. Behind him, the sounds of squealing were becoming louder and louder.

Desperate, he looked up to the heavens and gritted his teeth. "Kami-sama! Please help me! I'll do anything! Just please spare me from this kind of torture!"

The screaming sounds were now getting nearer and nearer.

"Oh, hell! Just save me!"

* * *

"Haruno Sakura, do you take Neji Hyuuga as your husband?"

Sakura glanced from the priest then to Neji and smiled. She clutched the bouquet of white roses tightly in her hands.

She softly answered. "I do."

The priest then turned to the brown-haired Hyuuga and repeated the same question. "Hyuuga Neji, do you take Haruno Sakura as your wife?"

Smirking triumphantly, he answered. "I do."

The priest grinned, happy that their booth had earned another profit. "Well then, what are you waiting for? You may now kiss the bride."

Sakura blushed.

…………

Back to our hero! (sweatdrops)

Now with 150-people femme fatale hot and running after his…ehem…behind, Uchiha Sasuke continued running for his life, muttering his endless string of curses because his prayer didn't obviously work (well, he sort of forgot his GMRC making him to be a very bad boy and miracles didn't easily happen with just a simple snap of a finger, right?)

His entire face lit up when he saw another corner rounding up to the end of the stalls.

Miracles do happen after all! 

"Finally! My prayer has been answered! Kami-sama still loves me!" Sasuke cried out then laughed maniacally despite of himself.

(High up from the heavens, Kami-sama sneezed. _Achoo!_)

Due to his over eagerness for escaping, he stupidly tripped on his own foot. Sasuke yelped in horror as his precious food and cloak went flying into the air and before he could even stand up, the entire femme fatale mercilessly ambushed him.

"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

Back to the make-believe wedding ceremony…

"Well then, what are you waiting for? You may now kiss the bride."

Neji smiled as he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. His hands then lifted the lacy white wedding veil that was covering her face. Afterwards, he cupped both sides of her cheeks then leaned down to kiss her.

On the other hand, Sakura blushed when she heard those words. And now, Neji was leaning down towards her for a kiss just like in those traditional wedding scenes from the Hollywood movies. She closed her eyes slowly, feeling Neji's breath warming her cheek.

…………

Back to our main character…

"No! My takoyaki! My cloak!" Sasuke squealed as he tried to free himself from the women who were desperately clinging to his body.

"My dignity!" he screamed when a girl latched on to his neck and attempted to kiss him.

Now, Sasuke was pissed that he didn't get to eat his balls in peace. Desperate to get himself freed, he pushed, pulled and even kicked the women who were busily tearing at his clothes. He even tried biting them, which made the entire situation worse. Now the girls were offering themselves, actually their necks, for his white teeth to feast upon.

That was the very first time Uchiha Sasuke knew the meaning of the dreaded word "_hickeys"_.

"Gahh! Stay away from me! Leave me alone!" he yelled. He finally pried himself off of his fan girls' clutches then resumed running to save his beloved octopus balls and cloak and of course his hide.

…………

Neji leaned closer to his girlfriend, determined to seal her lips with his when all of a sudden he got hit on the head four times. He opened his eyes angrily and glared at the four brown paper bags, which he unexpectedly caught by accident.

"Where do these things come from?" he asked himself aloud. Shaking his head, he decided to continue on giving Sakura a kiss. He grasped her again on the shoulders, closed his eyes and went for the kill.

SSSSMMMMMMOOOOOOCCCCCCHHHHHHHH!

…………

Sakura on the other hand was getting impatient. _Was Neji-kun hesitating?_

She had been waiting for Neji's lips to descend onto hers when a black cloak appeared from nowhere. It landed on top of her head and covered her entire body.

Sakura still kept her eyes shut and waited. "W-what is going on?" she asked herself nervously.

Was Neji-kun still planning something out of his sleeve? A romantic escapade like the one from those stories when a handsome rogue would kidnap an innocent damsel-in-distress and claim her as his? He was really determined in taking her back since he painstakingly planned all of this.

Before she knew it, she was lifted up into the air and carried off to somewhere else.

* * *

3:00 PM

Tenten had just finished counting her profits for the day when she saw some women running to the opposite direction of the Jail Booth. Even her prisoners perked up after they overheard the women babbling endlessly about a certain someone they encountered back in Ino's Takoyaki stall. Her ears stinging, she leaned a bit closer to listen to the conversation.

…………

"_Really? He's really here? Uchiha Sasuke-kun, Konoha's number one pin-up idol?"_

"_Yes. He was last seen in Ino's stall buying four bags of takoyaki."_

"_Are you sure? He could be anybody."_

"_Ppffttt! It was really Uchiha Sasuke-kun in the flesh! That loudmouth assistant of Ino's called him by his first name! Almost everyone stopped at the sound of his name!"_

The vein on Tenten's forehead began to twitch. "That wily fox! He was so stupid! He had to yell out Sasuke's name in order to get his attention! Naruto! Wait till I get my hands on you…" she grumbled as she listened further to the conversation.

"_What happened next?"_

"_Well, he ran. The last thing I heard was that he was being hunted down around the school's main grounds by almost everyone. I swear, after they catch him, they would drag him to those **love-themed stalls** and force their way on him."_

"_Ooohhh! They're so lucky! I wish I could also have my time alone with Sasuke-kun! He's soooo dreamy!"_

"_Yeah!" _

"_Me too!"_

"_Me three!"_

She had heard enough. Tenten bolted from her chair and then ran to the direction of the love-themed stalls. She gritted her teeth. Even if she arrived there on time, she didn't have enough manpower to overcome those lovesick fanatics.

Cursing angrily, she made a left turn and immediately searched for Naruto.

* * *

3:45 PM

School Rooftop…

Panting heavily from the running he had earlier, Sasuke bolted the exit door then slumped against the doorframe. Feeling the life draining out of his system, he forced himself to take deep breaths. He glared at the blue sky.

"Damn girls! Were they planning to kill me? I almost died out there!" he grunted. His brother was definitely going to pay for this!

As if on cue, his stomach rumbled loudly. Sasuke raised a hand on his quivering abdomen. "Man, I'm hungry." He stood up then walked towards to where his four bags of takoyaki and black cloak lay in disarray. Afterwards, he crouched down in front of it, picked up one brown bag and popped an octopus ball into his mouth.

He was on the verge of chewing when all of a sudden there was a slight rustle of movement from under the heavy cloak. Sasuke swallowed as he edged away slowly from the stirring fabric.

"What the hell? Don't tell me that another obsessed fan girl is hiding under that!" he muttered under his breath. The rustling continued and Sasuke groaned.

He immediately sat on his heels. "Looks like I have no other choice but to look underneath that," he said to himself. The raven-haired boy dropped to his knees and crawled slowly towards the still moving cloth. Fingering the hem, he hitched a breath then yanked the cloak in a swift motion.

Out of surprise, he unexpectedly bit his tongue.

"Geez! You didn't have to knock me out after asking for my help, T!" Naruto cried out as he fingered the bruises on his arms. Earlier, Tenten showed up in front of the takoyaki stall and demanded that he should come with her to search for their apparently missing comrade.

After he agreed, she dragged him behind the stall and proceeded to beat the living daylights out of him. When she was finally satisfied that she turned him into a pulp, she quickly explained that it was for putting Sasuke in danger.

Tenten glared at him. "And your point is? It was entirely your fault, you stupid blond! If you didn't yell out Sasuke's name for the entire female population to hear, then he wouldn't be on the run like this!"

Naruto stuck his tongue out. "Geez! Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't know! Maybe if you stopped cackling then we will be able to find him in time!" he retorted in a swaggering tone.

Instead of answering, Tenten bashed her fist on Naruto's cheek and moved on ahead of him.

* * *

"Ow!" Sasuke yelped when his teeth accidentally bit his tongue. His eyes were wide as saucers. He clutched the cloak tightly in his hand. He stared at the person in front of him and groaned.

"Not you again," he croaked. 'She' was the very least thing he would ever want to ponder at that very moment.

It was none other than the pink-haired girl whom he had encountered countless times. Only right now she was wearing their school uniform with an intricately designed wedding veil on top of her head. She was also wearing a shocked expression but not as much as shocking as his.

Her trembling lips began to move. "Ita…no…I mean, S-Sasuke…san…is that you? You're…you're a mess."

Sasuke resisted bonking her on the head. She really needed to improve her memory once in a while. Sighing, he then sat cross-legged and stared at her. "Barely recognizable. But I don't need that from you right now."

Sakura averted her eyes when she heard those words. "I…see." At that moment, she was surprised that she ended up seeing the handsome Uchiha's face rather than her 'supposed' husband who was at her side earlier at the makeshift altar. Was fate really that cruel in order for her to incessantly cross paths with the mysterious Uchiha Sasuke?

Well he was really a mysterious person, period.

And now she was being stared at as if she was lint that needs to be plucked off. Sakura bowed her head, chewing her lower lip. She shook. As always, she had that same effect to other people.

Others always treated her as a nuisance; a weak, clingy person to those who misjudged her. Even if she wanted to surpass their outcomes, everything still remained the same. Especially after she met Hyuuga Neji.

"Oi."

Her green eyes widened when a finger poked her forehead. She lifted her chin up and saw intense pools of black. She shrank back from his gaze, afraid that he might notice her shivering.

Sasuke propped one arm to support his chin as he gave her an inquisitive look. This girl was starting to annoy him. "You know," he began, choosing his words carefully so that he would not frighten her. "I'm not really going to hurt you but from the way you're acting, it seems that I already had."

Sakura shook her head. "N-No! You're wrong, Sasuke-san! It's just that I…I'm afraid that I caused you trouble again. I don't want you to get mad at me…I…"

He flapped his hand nonsensically. "It wasn't your fault. Naruto was the one who started this ruckus."

'_Oh_.'

She eventually smiled and albeit relieved that she wasn't the reason the boy was angry. Sakura stood up to shake the dust off her skirt then turned to Sasuke and spoke. "Well, I guess that's about it. I have to go back or else Neji will start looking for me."

He scowled. "Go back? You mean at the school grounds?"

"Yes," the pink-haired teen answered as she headed for the door.

Sasuke trailed after her then grabbed her wrist. "You're not going anywhere."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the very short chappie! School, as always, is a total boredom; with more groundwork for us poor students. I'm currently busy with thesis, which I have to finish within four months. Don't worry, folks! I'm still going to post updates, but not as fast like it was before. My beta-reader is also doing the thesis as I am; we're in the same team actually.

Now for the people, who gave their support and reviews, feel free to look for your names in this list. If you can't find your name then be sure to watch out for it in the next chapter:

**Aria's Star** (I didn't forget ya!)

**Sasusaku4life**

**XXUchiha's Fallen AngelXx**

**Saskurako**

**Elrenda-chan**

**Cursed-Melody**

**Sumaru93**

**Anime/Manga Fanatic**

**SasuSakuNaru81**

**Naruto8ramen**

**bubbleyum**

Oh, and our exams starting next week so I guess I might not be updating for a while. Please pray for my beta-reader and me. We really have to pass the exam or we're toast! That's all! Ja!


	13. Rendezvous at rooftop, the search is on!

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi. You'll never hear the end of this statement.

**A/N:** Welcome back minna-san! Our exams are finally over. My beta reader and I are currently suffering from psychological trauma due from the endless hours of torture we had undergone in answering those horrendous questions. I almost gave up answering the test after question number 3. Yet I still finished it and now, we're just waiting 'patiently' for the results. (keeps fingers crossed)

By the way, I want to thank you folks for giving us the moral support for our exams. So, we are giving you guys a treat. Also, please bear with us for a little while longer, my beta reader decided to cut some parts of the story in order to make the story more interesting, and to make you guys eager for the next chappie. Who knows what might happen next… (grins).

So in the end, the school affairs arc will not yet reach its conclusion. But enough of that! Here's chapter 13! Please read to your heart's content and don't forget to give me a review to know what you guys think. Ja!

* * *

Chapter 13: Rendezvous at the rooftop…and the search is on!

* * *

Now, it was her turn to scowl. "What? I can't stay! There's someone waiting for me right this very moment! I simply can't sit back here and wait for the sun to set."

"Too bad," the raven-haired gritted his teeth as his hold around her wrist tightened. "Since I'm out here in hiding and grabbed you by accident, I have no other choice but to detain you here with me until the festival's over."

Sakura swallowed. '_Didn't he know that the festival's going to end with the fireworks display? And the fireworks will not even start until exactly 7:00 PM! Who is he kidding?' _she thought anxiously. Afterwards, she bonked herself mentally. _'Of course, I forgot. Sasuke-san is from Sunagakure University. Stupid memory gap!'_

When the girl in front of him didn't respond, Sasuke sighed. He released his hold on her wrist then dropped his hand to his side. "Fine. You can go. I almost forgot that you've got a certain Hyuuga waiting 'patiently' for you."

Crossing his arms, he added, "And also, I'm not the type of a guy who ruins a long-term relationship regardless of how dysfunctional it can be."

"Maybe…but," Sakura smiled thinly. "You don't have the right in the world to tell me those things, Sasuke-san. Despite how awful he is, we're still together and I love him. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to him."

She gave a curt bow then scurried towards the door. Before opening the door, she paused. She looked back at him, eyes locked with his. "Seriously, why are you here? It's not like you to come barging in to someone else's school uninvited."

He placed his hands in his pockets and cast her a wary glance. "Do I have to answer that? Seriously?"

"Yes."

"It's…I…" Sasuke raked a hand through his hair. _'This is ridiculous! I should have worn my other clothes instead! Stupid Itachi for making a fool out of me and forcing me to wear this clothes! If it weren't for him, those women would not harass me in the first place! And if it weren't for him I…wait a second!' _

A light bulb popped inside his head. He then looked at Sakura.

'_Wait! I remember! Last night, she gave me an invitation to come here to school! I could use that as a reason why I'm here. Now how am I going to do this…'_ he thought.

Feigning innocence, he began. "So you're really going to deny that everything that happened to me back there was entirely your fault in the first place?"

"Huh? What did I do?" Sakura asked, her brows knitting together in confusion.

He shrugged. "Don't deny it. I got attacked by all the females in this school because of you."

"Wha…? What am I denying for? You just came out of nowhere and swept me away from Neji-kun! And now you're blaming me for all the troubles you went through?" Sakura retorted harshly. She was now mad because their conversation was getting worse.

Even he was getting pissed. _'What the hell? Looks like I have no choice but to help her remember about last night!'_

Running a hand through his hair, he winced when his bruised tongue grazed the back of his teeth. Sasuke glared at the girl in front of him then eventually sighed. "You're really clueless. I even came all the way from Sunagakure just because a certain unhappy girl invited me to attend their school's festival."

Green eyes blinked in bewilderment. "W…What…? Did I do that?"

_Have little patience, Sasuke_. "Say that stuff again and I'll kill you."

"But I…" Sakura sagged weakly against the doorframe, considering his words carefully. _'I…I don't understand… Sasuke-san came all the way here because…of…' _she swallowed inwardly. _'Because of me…he even accepted my invitation to go here…'_

"But why?" she mumbled silently.

"Why? Does it always have to be a why?" He walked towards her, his footsteps nearing.

Sakura choked out a sob when a hand swept her chin up so that her eyes now were drowning in their intense black counterparts.

Sasuke muttered a quiet "Hn." He stared down at those tearing eyes of hers, never breaking the contact. Suddenly he had a feeling that he was beginning to like her green eyes.

'_The color of polished emerald'_, he concluded.

"Regardless of what transpired to me earlier," he began and she shifted uncomfortably. The black-haired teen gave a faint smirk. "Why did I come here, you ask?"

Sakura could not seem to take her eyes off him. There was something about the elusive Uchiha Sasuke that she couldn't point a finger to. Whether it was because of his mysterious aura or the way he switched his personalities in just a brief second. Ironically, she was closer to Itachi-san even when his younger brother was the same age as her.

And now, she didn't know what to think anymore.

He was now leaning towards her, their noses almost touching.

"I came here…"

She blushed, whimpering at the huskiness of his voice.

Their lips were mere inches apart.

"…For you."

"T-This couldn't be happening!" The voice from the back of her head screamed. Sakura's breath hitched in as she felt the soft graze of his lips upon hers. Her arms immediately flung out in order to push him away from her. Instead, they landed on either side of his arms, clutching tightly on his sleeves.

The next thing she knew, he buried his face on the crook of her neck.

Sakura gave a tiny yelp.

And a loud groan was heard.

(Stomach growling sound)

* * *

4:30 PM

At the school grounds…

Neji stomped furiously as he left the marriage booth. He was extremely angry and embarrassed of the show he unwittingly put earlier. What's that you ask? Instead of the blushing bride he was expecting to kiss earlier, his irresistibly puckered lips slammed themselves wetly against a cool metal post. Talk about a big, wet smooch.

Worst part of it all, it was seen by a huge crowd of spectators.

And don't forget about his bride who suddenly whooshed out of nowhere and left him suffering from humiliation.

"Where the heck did she went off to now?" he snarled, kicking a soda can angrily with his foot. Sakura was beginning to get on his nerves now, if she continued being distracted like this he'd…

"Hyuuga!"

Neji turned at the sound of his name being called. His brow rose up when he saw Akimichi Chouji and his gang of bullies stopped simultaneously in front of him. "Did you find her?" he demanded.

Chouji bowed his head. "Sorry but we couldn't find your pink-haired girlfriend. We practically looked everywhere but there's still no sign of her."

"What?" Neji grabbed Chouji by the collar and glared at him. "I don't care if we have to stay here overnight, I want you to find her and bring her to me. If she has someone with her, especially if that person is a 'he', drag him out here as well! Do you get that, fat ass?"

"Fat ass?" Chouji squealed in surprise.

Neji gave him a dirty look. "Yeah, stupid fat ass. If you don't want to hear me calling you by your taboo name, you better follow my orders. Understand?"

The heavyset guy flinched. Neji was not the type of guy to be messed with. Gulping, he nodded. "Yes, sir." Turning to his buddies, he yelled. "All right! Split up and start searching!"

"Hai!" His heavyset buddies yelled out simultaneously as they went on their separated ways to look for Neji's object of regard.

…………

Meanwhile at the other side of the school…

Ino fanned herself with a paper fan. It surely was a very humid afternoon. She cast a glance at her co-teammates as they managed the stall. Before she finished surveying the area, her blond brow rose up when she noticed something awfully peculiar.

"Where the hell is Naruto?" she growled when there was no sign of him anywhere at the stall.

She turned to Hinata. "Hinata, have you seen Naruto?"

"I'm afraid not, Yamanaka-san. Maybe he went out to take…um…a break somewhere," the dark blue-haired girl mumbled.

Ino's nostrils flared in anger. "What the hell? He took a break by himself? Without even consulting me?" She cracked her knuckles, taking pleasure in hearing the loud cracking sound. "He's gonna get it!"

"C-Calm down, Yamanaka-san!"

…………

"Achoo!"

"Hmm, you've got a bad cold there. I wonder who's thinking of you right now?"

Naruto yanked the tissue from Tenten's outstretched hand. He covered his nose with it then sneezed. "Whatever." After tossing the tissue paper into the trash bin, he glanced at his friend slyly. "Who knows? Maybe it was Sasuke-chan who's thinking about me!"

Tenten ears turned red. "What…the? You're really a dreamer aren't you, foxface? There's no way that Sasuke would even think about your sorry ass! If I know, he's probably too occupied in hiding himself from the clutches of those wretched women to even think about your crappy face!"

Her blond friend grinned slyly. "Oh really? Then whom else should he be thinking about? You?"

"What? Me? No fricking way!"

"Oooooohhhhhh! I can see that you're blushing, T!"

BAM!

"Ow!"

Tenten rubbed her sore knuckles. "That's what you're going to get if you still continue your sorry bitchin' Naruto!"

Naruto rubbed his reddening cheek. "You're so mean! I'm going to tell Sasuke-chan that you're hurting me again!" He then ran to the opposite direction of the school.

"What…the? Come back here, you dumb weenie!" Tenten screeched as she went after him. The hell! They were supposed to continue searching for their raven-haired friend but the stupid fox had begun his wild goose chase again.

She would definitely go after his hide so that she could clobber him until he could no longer walk.

"Damn! Where are you, Sasuke?" Tenten grumbled as she increased her speed.

* * *

Back at the rooftop…

"Man, I'm so hungggrrryyy…" Sasuke mumbled against her neck. His deep voice sent shocks of vibration into Sakura's body, causing her skin to tingle. Without a word, he collapsed with his weight fully resting against her body.

Her eyes went wide as she was toppled off balance. Her back slammed against the doorframe with a loud bam, bringing Sasuke with her. Sasuke groaned again as he curled himself into a ball at her lap, his stomach growling afterwards.

Seconds passed before one of them made the first move to talk. Sakura took deep breaths as she looked down at the boy groaning consistently. She shakily raised a hand to stroke his coal-black tresses. Clearing her throat, she began, "A-Are you all right, Sasuke-san?"

He only grunted in response as another rumbling took place.

Sakura bit her lip to keep from laughing. "You should've told me in the first place instead of announcing that 'detaining' comment earlier. You should've said that you were hungry," she said lightly.

Sasuke brought his face up to look at her. "Geez, I'm almost dying here because of the excruciating pain my hunger is giving me and now you're making fun of me? That's low. Practically low," he retorted.

"Apparently, you're the one who's at the _low_ here. Lying lowly at some girl's lap," she fired back.

"W-What? I'm not! It's just that I…ooowwww…my stomach…"

Sakura giggled. She never thought that there was an alternative to bring the high and mighty Uchiha down to his knees. And the only one who had done it was none other than his very own stomach. "Is there something that you want me to do, Sasuke-san? Do you want me to go outside and get you something to eat?" she offered earnestly.

The boy moaned. "If you go out, those obsessive fan girls of mine might corner you in some dead end and ask for my whereabouts. I don't want to risk my hide so don't even try of going out there and saving yourself."

The pink-haired girl sighed. The boy was blatantly arrogant. "Then do you have any other options? Aside from doubling over in pain?" she asked instead.

Sasuke slowly raised himself into a sitting position. One arm placed in front of his stomach. "I already bought four bags of octopus fritters to eat. I believe they're out here somewhere. You can go and get them for me."

"How demanding," she mused wryly. Sakura stood up, scanned their surroundings then finally spotted the four bags he was talking about. Shaking her head, she walked towards the brown bags and snatched all four of them. Afterwards, she went back to the brooding boy and handed the bags to him.

"Here you go," she said.

Sasuke grabbed them immediately then began filling his mouth with food. Sakura watched him, a smile tugging at her lips. "Looks like someone is really hungry," she commented.

"So? I don't care," he grumbled then swallowed. After emptying the first bag he gobbled the next. Sasuke didn't stop eating until he finished all four bags. After tossing the last bag, he was rewarded with a loud burp.

"Sounds like you're full."

"Yep, I am." Sasuke patted his stomach proudly. "I thought I was about to die from starvation. Running away from those women really makes you very hungry."

Upon realizing that he was having an actual conversation with a girl who was his enemy's girlfriend, the Uchiha stilled. There was no way he was actually engaging in a normal conversation with her! Earlier they were clawing at each other's throats then the next, they were buddy-buddies? Weird!

"Sasuke-san? Are you all right?"

He immediately collected himself. "Hn."

Sakura smiled, her eyes crinkling. "What should we do then?"

"I thought you're going down to meet with Hyuuga."

"Oh, that? I…" Sakura paused then added, "…I'm sure he wouldn't mind if our pretend wedding would be postponed for awhile." She patted the white wedding veil still miraculously attached to her head.

'_Amazing. It didn't even fall after I tackled her'_, Sasuke thought. He scratched his head, obviously forgetting the other purpose he promised to Itachi earlier.

Reaching out a hand, he fingered the hem of the veil and gave a tiny, discernable smirk. Sakura immediately blushed at their closeness. "Aa. But are you sure? You're certainly dressed up for a wedding. And let me guess, the groom's not a happy one since he would have already found out that his bride ditched him at the altar," he commented.

"Not ditched. I was abducted. By you," she fired back.

Sasuke scoffed. "Whatever."

* * *

5:30 PM

Itachi cracked one eye open and saw that the sky was beginning to darken. Groggily, he squinted his eyes at his watch and winced at the time. "Damn, it's almost time for the school festival to end. Where the heck did that stupid brother of mine tottered off to now?" he asked himself.

"Yo! Itachi-san!"

The older Uchiha popped his head out of the car window. He saw his buddy Hoshigake Kisame walking towards the direction of his car. He waved a hand for the shark guy to join him. Kisame finally stopped in front of his car then grinned. "What are you doing here, Itachi-san? I'm sure you didn't stop here just to get a drag."

Itachi sighed. "Nope. I didn't come here for a drag. I'm simply waiting for my ototou who was apparently not back from the festival."

"Oh? That's strange. I think you've been planning something right behind your brother's back. And the reason why your brother's not returning yet is because you made him do something for you. Am I right?" Kisame guessed.

"Hm…very brief and concise. Your answer's very direct to the point. I applaud you for that, Kisame," Itachi replied, unimpressed.

"Heh."

The door swung open and Itachi stepped out of the car. He stretched out his legs. "Since you're already here, why don't you come with me to the festival? Outsiders are allowed to go in and out of Konohagakure anyway."

"Sounds like a good idea," Kisame scratched his head. "But what about your brother? Aren't we supposed to look for him?"

His friend smirked. "Sasuke is not a difficult person to locate. If we see a trail of girls chasing after somebody, then that's him. If not, then we'll just check every nook and cranny of the school just in case he might be hiding from them now. That would totally ruin the grandeur of my plan."

"Grandeur? What plan?"

Itachi shrugged nonchalantly. "He has to find a girl by the end of this day or I'll burn his precious, dorky wardrobe into ashes."

Kisame sneered. "You're such a devious person, Itachi-san. You really love tormenting your younger brother, don't you?"

"I know. I take pleasure in it."

"Heh."

…………

5:45 PM

School Rooftop

Sasuke peered through the hole in the doorknob. When he saw no other people staying outside the door, he heaved a sigh in relief. "Yes! No one's there," he said giddily to himself. Running a hand through his raven spikes, he turned to the girl behind him. "We can finally get out of here since there are no longer people hanging outside. I think it's because the festival is reaching its end."

"Great," Sakura replied sarcastically. They'd been sitting for the rest of the afternoon in utmost silence and she was getting bored. Earlier, she was interacting quite well with the stoic Uchiha but a few minutes afterwards Sasuke-san distanced himself from her once again. The petal-haired teen clasped her hands together.

'_I don't blame him. He's maintaining his distance because I'm Neji-kun's girlfriend. The more he criticizes my relationship with him, the more Sasuke-san and I get into each other's nerves,'_ she thought sadly. _'From the looks of things, we won't really become friends after all…'_

"Oi."

She looked up to see Sasuke staring directly at her. She fidgeted the hem of her skirt nervously. "W-What is it, Sasuke-san?"

He sighed. "Since we're leaving this place, why don't I drop you off at the Marriage Booth? I'm also headed for that same route since the exit is just right on its way."

"That's…that's very kind of you, Sasuke-san. But," she waved her hand no. "I'm going to be all right. It's better if I go alone. If Neji-kun finds out that I was with you, he will…" she trailed off, remembering the incident about the paper flowers. She didn't want to see Neji hurting Sasuke because of her.

Sasuke only raised a brow. "Okay. If you say so."

Sakura sighed in relief. She bowed to him in farewell and was about to leave when a hand grabbed her wrist. Her green eyes flickered in confusion. "Is there something wrong, Sasuke-san?"

"If I can't drop you at the booth, then maybe you can help me find an easy route out of this building. I'm not yet sure if those obsessive fan girls of mine are still hanging around here or probably waiting for me outside the school," he explained off-handedly.

She was too easy to read. Sasuke instantly knew what the girl was thinking. He already knew that Neji would most likely hurt Sakura again because of her disappearing act earlier. Accompanying her to the marriage booth would be his way of apology for stealing her from her wedding ceremony and also, staying close to her would lessen detection from his fan girls.

"I…" Sakura was speechless. Well, there was nothing wrong about that. She would just guide the raven-haired teen to a safer route outside of school. Afterwards, she'd face Neji's consequences because of her desertion at the ceremony. She was now prepared for any attacks he would make anyway.

"Of course, Sasuke-san."

* * *

6:00 PM

At the marriage booth…

"What? She's not back here yet?" Neji bellowed angrily. He slammed his fist against the booth's wooden post, causing the makeshift altar to quake.

Lee raised his hands in total surrender. "Gomenasai, Neji-kun. But what we've been saying to you earlier is true! Sakura-san is not here, and she hasn't come back ever since."

The Hyuuga spouted curses as he smashed his fist again, creating a huge crack on the altar. The other students' in-charge of the stall cowered in fear while Lee remained firm. Neji glared at him, curling his hand into a fist.

"One last time. Tell me where Sakura is or else…!"

"I already told you, Neji. Sakura's not here."

Neji aimed his fist and was about to hit Lee's face when a hand grabbed his wrist, missing his target a mere inch. The glassy eyed Hyuuga spun his head around to glare at the person who stopped him from attacking the thick browed student. "What do you want? Do you want to get hurt too?" he snarled as he finally took a good look at his adversary.

And all of a sudden, he hesitated.

His attacker had his arms crossed and was looking at him grimly. Neji slowly lowered his fist. "Shit," he mentally cursed himself. Out of all the people he messed with, this person was the only one able to withstand his violent behavior. On the other hand, Lee slumped weakly against the post as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's nice to see you again, Hyuuga Neji."

* * *

**A/N: **And there you have it, chapter 13. I only sneaked out of my very busy schedule just to post this and I…(looks around and sees beta reader tapping her foot impatiently)…well, here's the question and answer portion!

"Who stopped Neji from attacking Lee?"

And as another treat, here is an excerpt from the next chappie! Hope this will make you more eager…

…………

"Let's do this," he finally said.

"What?" Sakura asked, confusion marring her face. Kakashi eavesdropped on the conversation and was grinning madly. Sasuke knew that their literature teacher was relishing on his discomfort that he decided to give up and go with the flow.

He faced Sakura and cupped her chin with his free hand. He angled it upwards so that she was looking straight at him. "Look, I don't want to repeat things over and over again. So listen up." Sasuke took a deep breath then spoke again.

"We'll continue where we left off."

"What? Do you know what you're saying Sasuke-san?" Sakura screeched.

Sasuke ran a hand through his black tresses. "Of course I know! That's why we're going to do this in the first place. And besides, I'm already sick of this perverted," he pointed to Kakashi, "sicko dictating what I should or should not do! And no doubt even insulted my sexuality!"

Sakura shook her head. "But it's wrong! I-I don't want this to happen, I just want Neji-kun to…"

Sasuke yanked her hard so that she slammed not so gently against his chest. "What…so now you prefer Neji-kun over me? I don't think so."

…………

How was it? Did that satisfy your hunger dear readers? Please don't forget to answer the question and wait patiently for the next chappie! For the names I'll just post it in the next chapter too, so don't be disappointed. Ja! (being led outside of the computer shop by the beta reader)


	14. And the groom said NO!

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi. Nope. Not mine.

**A/N:** Hisashiburi, minna-san! I've been very busy with my studies these days and I managed to make some time in updating my story. Forgive me for not being able to update, I promise, the next chapters will be good!

For now, please read and enjoy my next chappie!

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Chapter 14: And the groom said – NO!

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"It's nice to see you again, Hyuuga Neji."

……………

The brown-haired Hyuuga cursed inwardly as the newcomer's tall frame overpowered him in terms of height. Behind him, Lee sighed in relief and hurriedly addressed the person.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

The silver-haired literature teacher cocked his head to one side. Earlier, he was standing in front of an antique stall that was selling previous editions of Icha Icha Paradise when he heard a commotion coming from the Marriage Booth. He decided to check it afterwards and eventually saw Neji about to pound the living daylights out of Lee.

"Hmm…what do we have here? A fight in the middle of the festival?" Kakashi asked dryly. The festival was about to reach its end and now this kid wants to destroy everything? Talk about not being disciplined at an early age.

"This is none of your business, Kakashi-sensei," Neji answered cryptically. Great, he was going to be apprehended by a teacher. He gritted his teeth. Sakura would certainly pay for this humiliation.

The droopy-eyed ninja gave a dismissive wave. "I'm afraid this **is** my business, Hyuuga Neji-kun. As one of the coordinators of this festival, our main goal is to preserve order and keep the festival in its top shape. _Capiche_?"

Neji cursed inwardly. The least thing he ever wanted to do right now was to mess with a teacher. Bowing his head stiffly, he apologized, "I understand, Kakashi-sensei. I promise I wouldn't try to cause trouble again."

"All right, I forgive you. Now be on your merry way and enjoy the festival."

The brown-haired Hyuuga bowed his head again then turned to walk away from the stall. Kakashi sighed then turned to the cowering Lee. "Are you all right, Lee? You look like you're about to collapse from fright."

The bowl-cut runner shook his head. "Don't worry, I-I'm fine Kakashi-sensei. I'm just feeling woozy that's all."

"Mm…" Kakashi mused. He placed a hand on the poor boy's forehead. "You look pale. Why don't you drop by at the clinic and get some rest? Leave the Marriage Booth to me."

"Ah…but…" Lee hesitated. The literature teacher glared at him and he winced. "All right! I'll leave the rest to you, Kakashi-sensei! Just don't do anything suspicious around here, ok? I don't want Anko-sensei to kick my ass once she finds out that I allowed you to take over the booth."

"Nah. Don't worry about such nonsense! Now run along like a good little boy," Kakashi grabbed the boy's shoulders then pushed him rather forcefully out of the stall. Lee walked away all the while cradling his aching head. He developed a severe bout of headache due to the previous events.

After Lee left, Kakashi tapped a finger while looking around the entire stall. "Hmm…now what should I do first?" he asked himself. He caught sight of a white ceremonial robe hanging next to a bouquet of white roses. An idea popped inside his head. "I know!"

He grabbed the ceremonial robe and eagerly slipped it on. Twirling around in a circular motion, he let the lower hem of the robe drop in cascading waves. Afterwards, he took his place behind the stall.

"Now," he said while grinning. "Let's find some innocent couple to play with."

…………

"That booth should be around here somewhere," Sasuke said to himself as he and Sakura walked briskly, all the while surveying each and every stall they passed along the way.

On the other hand, the pink girl in front of him was walking noticeably slow. From the looks of her flushed face and hunched shoulders, Sasuke had only one thing in mind.

They're lost.

"Anou," Sakura began sheepishly. She was afraid to look at him in the eye. Sasuke sighed as he tried to keep a rein on his temper. _Patience is a virtue…_ "We're lost…aren't we?" he asked slowly with added gentleness. There was no sense in letting Sakura see his impatient side.

Sakura stuck out her tongue in a sheepish yet playful gesture. "G-Gomene, Sasuke-san. I forgot to tell you that I'm a lousy person when it comes to directions."

Sasuke snapped. "You should have said so earlier! Sheeessshh…" Running his fingers through his hair nervously --- the gesture Itachi reminded Sakura of, he cursed silently. There was no other choice.

"All right, I'll lead. We'll just ask for directions," he said in a clipped tone. He was about to walk when he remembered something important. Quickly, he turned to Sakura. "On second thought, since I'll be the one to lead the way, why don't you'll be the one to ask for directions instead?"

The pink-haired girl looked at him with confusion in her eyes. Sasuke sighed and added, "If I'll be the one to ask for directions, there's a big possibility that we'll get mobbed by infatuated fan girls. Surely you don't want that to happen, right?"

Instead of answering, Sakura nodded fervently. Sasuke also nodded and together, they went on their way.

--------------------------------------------------

6:45 PM

The festival was nearing its end and the school bell rang, indicating that the fireworks would be starting in a few minutes. As for the rest, Tenten and Naruto still continued their search for their missing friend while Neji and his band of bullies were also doing the same thing. On the other side of the school, Itachi and Kisame were surveying some of the stalls, looking for something rare and exotic to buy.

Meanwhile, Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. Finally, they were able to locate the whereabouts of the Marriage Booth. Standing in front of the stall, he turned to Sakura. "Well, here we are. Sorry if I led you earlier into a wild goose chase."

"N-no it's alright," Sakura answered. She ran a hand shyly along the hem of her wedding veil. Slightly disappointed because of her abrupt disappearance, she allowed herself a comforting smile. "The festival is nearing its end, so I…"

The raven-haired teen swallowed. "You know, I can see in your eyes that you're disappointed. Because your pretend wedding with Hyuuga was hastily stopped." When he saw the hurt in her eyes he sighed again. Hesitatingly, he put a hand on her shoulder. "I-I'm…uh…forgive me for being rude but…"

"Don't worry, Sasuke-san. I understand what you're trying to say," she smiled at him. She knew that he was comforting her in the only way he knew how. Never mind the rudeness, but if he changed even a slightest bit then that would no longer be him at all.

Sasuke gave a small smirk. "If you say so." He took a few steps away from her. "See you around, Haruno."

She gave a wave. "Thank you very much for everything Sasuke-san! And thank you for…"

"HOLD IT!"

Both teens stopped their goodbyes after hearing that sudden outburst. They turned their heads around and sweatdropped when they saw none other than Hatake Kakashi garbed in some fancy robe.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI?" they blurted out simultaneously.

"Wait! How did you know my sensei's name?" Sakura asked Sasuke.

"Well, he's my…I mean," Sasuke coughed. "He was once Itachi-nisan's homeroom teacher."

"Oh."

Kakashi grinned at them. "I'm quite surprised. It's been a long time since I heard from an Uchiha. And Itachi-kun's younger brother no less! And what's this," he gestured towards Sakura, "You even brought Haruno-chan with you! And lo! Is that an engagement ring on your finger? Perfect timing! Are you guys ready for a Las Vegas type wedding?" he asked her.

The pink-haired girl blushed. "Uhm…yes, Kakashi-sensei. Actually I was waiting for my boyfriend to come back here to continue where we left off," Sakura answered.

"And I was about to leave," Sasuke added. He spun on his heel and started to walk away when a hand latched onto his arm. "What the hell do you want now…" he glared at his attacker, "…Kakashi?"

Kakashi was once again grinning at him. Sasuke suspected that he was up to no good. "Well now, that's not a good excuse for jilting a bride on her wedding day! Shame on you!"

The Uchiha's eyes widened. "What? Who's jilting who? And I'm not…"

His teacher pointed an accusing finger at him. "Nonsense! You of all people should understand the sanctity of a ceremony!" He DRAGGED Sasuke back to where Sakura was standing in front of the altar. Kakashi placed the younger man right next to her then stood at the back of the altar to face them.

The silver-haired adult raised both of his hands. "Well then, shall we begin the ceremony?"

"NNNNOOOO!" Sasuke screamed in protest.

Sakura was still stunned by the events so only Kakashi paid attention. "What is it, Uchiha-kun?" he asked dryly.

The raven-haired teen threw angry looks at their teacher. "First of all, I'm not the boyfriend she was talking about! And secondly," he added with a hint of annoyance, "I don't want to get married!"

"And your point is?"

"My point…? Well I…"

"Then that settles it!" Kakashi patted Sasuke on the head in a sympathetic way. "It's alright, poor boy. I understand that you're experiencing pre-wedding jitters right now. Don't worry, it happens all the time."

Sasuke's cheeks tinged pink. "Pre-wedding jitters? NO! You're missing the point here old man! I'm not afraid of this scam of yours! It's just that I…"

Sakura stared at the deranged boy next to her. "Sasuke-san…I think that's not a good…"

"A scam?" Kakashi laughed, his voice imitating those of an old cackling witch. He hid his cackle behind his hand. "My dear boy, I'm simply not here just to earn money from your pockets. I'm here to spread the love in your hearts!"

Sasuke glared angrily. "This sucks. I'm about to leave this place and you come barging in here, forcing me to attend…no, participate in some sham wedding! That's it. I'm out of here." He turned his back towards Kakashi and Sakura and started to walk away from the altar.

----------------------------------------------------

He was a few meters away from the stall when he heard Kakashi speak. "And there he goes, deserting a lovely bride on her wedding day. I can understand runaway brides but runaway grooms? That's kinda weird. And unbelievable if you ask me."

_What the hell?_

He then heard Sakura's response. "Sasuke-san is not like that, Kakashi-sensei. He came all the way here from Sunagakure just to attend our festival. And he only came here because I…invited him."

"See? Aren't you the nice girl! But you've got a pompous arrogant boyfriend in return. Ah, the shame! The shame!" Kakashi placed a hand over his forehead dramatically. "Youngsters these days. If he dumped you on your wedding day, then that simply meant that the boy's gay. No wonder. The youngest son of the Uchiha clan's a closet homosexual. I wonder what'll his older brother Itachi say?"

'_Homosexual? Gay? Who, me? No fucking way!_' Sasuke gritted his teeth in annoyance. Was that old slimy pervert branding him as part of the third sex? Was he crazy? Does Kakashi really want to get himself killed? Well, if he wants to get killed right now then that's no problem either. Insulting Uchiha Sasuke's masculinity was a low blow to his ego. And some moldy aged pervert caused it.

Irritated that his ego and _sexuality_ was deliberately put on the line, Sasuke walked back to the stall. At the altar, Kakashi continued spouting ego-breaking words to Sakura who, on the other hand, was protesting weakly that their teacher was getting the wrong idea.

"You don't understand, Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke-san is not my boyfriend and we're not…" Sakura trailed off when she saw the raven-haired teen standing a few feet away from her. She blinked. "S-Sasuke-san? I thought you left already."

Sasuke flinched at the sound of his name. He marched stiffly towards the altar, stopping in front of Sakura. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "And what do we have here? Back so soon, Uchiha-kun? Or did you leave something?" he inquired idly.

To their surprise, the young man grabbed Sakura's hand. Staring at the emerald band on her ring finger, Sasuke sighed. It was just a pretend wedding. Nothing more. Nothing less. "Nothing bad will happen," he told himself.

"Let's do this," he finally said.

"What?" Sakura asked, confusion marring her face. Kakashi eavesdropped on the conversation and was grinning madly. Sasuke knew that their literature teacher was relishing on his discomfort that he decided to give up and go with the flow.

He faced Sakura and cupped her chin with his free hand. He angled it upwards so that she was looking straight at him. "Look, I don't want to repeat things over and over again. So listen up." Sasuke took a deep breath then spoke again.

"We'll continue where we left off."

"What? Do you know what you're saying Sasuke-san?" Sakura screeched.

Sasuke ran a hand through his black tresses. "Of course I know! That's why we're going to do this in the first place. And besides, I'm already sick of this perverted," he pointed to Kakashi, "sicko dictating what I should or should not do! And no doubt even insulted my sexuality!"

Kakashi feigned innocence. "Did I sound that terrible? Oh my."

Sakura shook her head. "But it's wrong! I-I don't want this to happen, I just want Neji-kun to…"

Sasuke yanked her hard so that she slammed not so gently against his chest. "What…so now you prefer Neji-kun over me? I don't think so."

She squeaked in protest. "But Sasuke-san!"

Kakashi coughed. "Oh well… Anyways, are we going to have a wedding or not kiddos?"

The raven-haired teen stepped forward, his hand clamped around the girl's forearm. His expression was defiant. "We're going to have the wedding. And please make it quick."

The pretend priest coughed again then proceeds to make the necessary arrangements for the ceremony. He adjusted his robe, smoothed his hair, and opened his bible to whatever page he wanted then faced the hesitant couple.

"Shall we begin?"

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**A/N:** There you have it the awaited Chapter 14! Now that the tides have turned, what do you think will happen? Please give me your response after you read the excerpts of my next chappie:

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…………

"…So now I'm going to ask the two of you." Kakashi took a glance at Sakura who was blushing prettily underneath her wedding veil. _'Might as well ask her first. If I'm going to ask the bratty kid, he'll shower me more of his irritating refusals.'_ He coughed for emphasis then faced the pink-haired teen.

"Haruno Sakura-chan," he began and saw her girl jumped in apprehension. A smirk crossed his face as he asked her the question often highlighted at real weddings. "Do you take this _good-for-nothing_, _pretentious_, _ostentatious_, _portentous_ and _stuck-up_ brat to be your lawfully wedded husband _so-help-you-God_?"

Sasuke snapped. "For the last time, I'm not a stuck-up!"

"I…" Sakura faltered. She was beginning to have second thoughts. _Am I supposed to say yes_?

_Am I?_

…………

So my dear readers, what do you think? Is she going to say yes? The outcome of the next chappie depends on your answers. So please think and answer carefully! By the way, thanks for the reviews, I'll try to come up with longer chapters next time. Ja!


	15. I do hell yeah!

Disclaimer: Naruto is still Kishimoto-sensei's property.

A/N: Welcome back, minna-san! Our exams are finally over and phew, I barely finished answering all of those questions! After that I spent the next few days resting my brain for exhausting it during the exams.

All right, enough of that. Chapter 14 is here! School Affairs arc is swiftly coming to its end…if it weren't for my beta reader cutting the story off with cliffies. Sniff! Sniff! Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 14: I do…Hell yeah!

* * *

The pretend priest coughed again then preceded to make the necessary arrangements for the ceremony. He adjusted his robe, smoothed his hair, and opened his bible to whatever page he wanted then faced the reluctant couple.

"Shall we begin?"

…………

6:46 PM

Kakashi raised his hands in a revered gesture. "Dearly beloved, we're gathered here tonight for the 'hasty' wedding of my beloved student, Haruno-chan to her egotistical, pompous, arrogant and stuck-up boyfriend . . . Uchiha-kun . . . "

"For the umpteenth time, I'm not her boyfriend!" Sasuke snapped then added, "And I'm not stuck-up!"

"Yeah, yeah whatever." The older man sweat dropped. _Cheeky little brat…_

Sakura winced. Holding the bouquet of white roses, she looked sideways at her unwilling partner. Understanding his reluctance, she didn't want to cause any more trouble. She looked back down at the ground, wondering when the ceremony would end.

"As I was saying earlier before you rudely interrupted the ceremonial rites, Uchiha-kun . . . " Kakashi picked up the bible and flipped it to a page. "Since the two people in front of me had come here of their own free will . . . "

Sasuke snorted. He wasn't enjoying this at all. _Free will? Bah!_

". . . So now I'm going to ask the two of you." Kakashi took a glance at Sakura who was blushing prettily underneath her wedding veil. _'Might as well ask her first. If I'm going to ask the bratty kid, he'll shower me more of his irritating refusals.'_ He coughed for emphasis then faced his student.

"Haruno Sakura-chan," he began and saw the girl jumped in apprehension. A smirk crossed his face as he asked her the question, which was often highlighted at real weddings. "Do you take this _good-for-nothing_, _pretentious_, _ostentatious_, _portentous_ and _stuck-up_ brat to be your lawfully wedded husband, _so-help-you-God_?"

Sasuke snapped again in the background. "For the last time, I'm not a stuck-up!"

"I . . . " Sakura faltered.

_Am I supposed to say yes?_

_Should I?_

_

* * *

_

Meanwhile, Kakashi and Sasuke waited for her answer with bated breaths. The silver-haired teacher crossed his fingers, wishing that the girl would say yes. "That's right my beloved student . . . just say those two little words . . . '_I do'_ . . . " he mentally urged her.

On the other hand, the young man silently wished that Haruno would say no and stop the wedding. 'She's still madly in love with that bad-assed Hyuuga. Of course she would say no!' he ruefully thought.

"I . . . I . . . "

Both men strained to hear Sakura's response. After a few minutes of stuttering "I's . . . " and "Uhms . . . " she took a deep breath and answered in a hushed tone.

"I . . . d-do . . . "

THUD!

* * *

Meanwhile…

Itachi tapped one finger under his chin as he thought of the possible places his brother would hide. Well, he did try looking all over the university and even checking out the classrooms. He encountered some of his teachers there and they were extremely curious in finding out his current situation.

"Itachi." Kisame broke his thoughts. The bored Uchiha gave him a nod. "I did what you requested. It's too bad, but he's not there either. Do you still have any idea of where he went?"

"Hmm…I don't know. But he's Sasuke for Yondaime's sake. He could be anywhere." Itachi snapped his fingers irritatingly. "Tsk. That dopey brat. Probably got scared of what I'm trying to make him do earlier."

Kisame glanced around his surroundings for a while when suddenly he stilled. He began to sniff the air, his nostrils flaring. "Wait! Sniff! Sniff! I smell something!"

"Oh please, Kisame. Don't be a numbskull," Itachi snorted. He fished a cigarette from his pocket and put it on his mouth. He took out his lighter then proceeded to light it. After blowing up a cloud of smoke, he eyed his tall friend who was still busy manipulating his nose, which to his opinion, looked like a shark's snout. "You're still doing that?" he asked dryly.

The sniffing continued until finally, smoke came out from Kisame's nares. "But I swear, Itachi-san! I smelled it! I can smell your brother's clean and musky scent!" he exclaimed.

Itachi cringed, shying away from him as if he suddenly had an onset of a disease. "What the hell are you talking about, clean and musky? Don't tell me you've been fantasizing about my ototou for such a long time, Kisame! You pedophile!"

Kisame yelped, shaking his head. "No! I mean, I caught the scent of your brother from over there!" He flung one outstretched arm to point the location to prove his point. Instead, it accidentally hit Itachi on the back. The impact almost lodged the cigarette inside his throat but, thanks to his amazing gag reflexes, he was able to avoid swallowing the entire thing whole.

The raven-haired man spat the cigarette on the ground with distaste. Maybe it was now time for him to stop smoking. He didn't want to die because of being choked by a cigarette, especially if it was an accident. An accident of someone whacked you at the back while taking a drag.

"Anyway," he began. "Let's resume the search. And this time, we'll follow your nose . . . err, I mean your instincts, Kisame."

Pleased that his olfactory skills were finally commended, Kisame led the way.

* * *

6:49 PM

School Grounds…

Neji clenched his fist. It was almost time for the fireworks display. His glassy eyes scanned his entire surroundings. The sky was getting darker and if he doesn't find Sakura soon, then it would be too late. Of course he wouldn't enjoy watching the fireworks without someone beside him!

The fireworks display in Konoha was simply included in the list for all the lovebirds to enjoy. The fireworks would only serve to bring a romantic mood to all the couples that would watch it. If by luck the mood turned cheesy, a kiss or two would do the trick. And that was what made Neji furious. He has to find Sakura so that he could kiss her while watching the fireworks display.

Cursing, he made a right turn next to a curio stall.

…………

"Wait!"

Tenten stopped running. She glared angrily at her friend. "What now, Naruto?"

"What if Sasuke-chan's no longer here? What if he already left?" Naruto asked.

"And how did that happen? Seriously foxface, do you think Sasuke would escape this place if there are lots of his fan girls flocking the school gates?" She gestured towards the platoon of obsessed females flanking Konohagakure's main gates.

Naruto sweat dropped. "Of course he wouldn't! You think he would allow himself to be captured by those hussies? Certainly not!"

"Right. That is why we have to find him. Or else he'll be toasted by those girls," the brown-haired girl replied and was about to leave when Naruto grabbed her wrist. "What?"

"But T! What if he's no longer here?"

"Do I still have to answer that? Let's just go!"

…………

Itachi restrained himself from doing anything harmful when he found himself and Kisame right in front of a graying cemented wall. The shark guy next to him gave laughed nervously. "Oopsie…looks like it's another dead end. But don't worry, Itachi-san! I promise you that we'll find your brother in no time!"

"We'll never be able to find him at this rate," he growled. Kisame cowered as he tried to shield his body behind the post. Itachi sighed as he looked around. _'Since this is the dead end, the only way to get back is to go through that way,'_ he mused as he stared at the entrance of another narrow path.

"Kisame," he ordered. "We'll go through that path."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"_Sasuke-san? Are you still alive? Please wake up!"_

"_Hn. Maybe he wasn't able to handle the stress of entering a married life."_

"_You're not helping, sensei! He might not wake up if you keep on teasing him!"_

"_Oh? If you have a problem in waking him up, then we'll just give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Don't worry, I just got my license in basic life support and I guarantee that this will work. Now stand back and let me do it."_

Wait a minute…mouth-to-mouth?

What the hell!

…………

Sasuke opened his eyes to find Kakashi leaning down to him, lips puckered up and a few inches from his own. "Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" he yelled out and pushed the teacher's face away from him. He immediately sat up, hugged his arms around his body in a protective manner then glared at him with twice the intensity enough to melt an iceberg. "What in the hell do you think you're doing? You-sick-perverted-pedophile!"

Kakashi rubbed his cheeks in mock disappointment. "It's a shame. He woke up. And here I thought that I would be able to do the 'thing' his fans have been dreaming about for a long time."

Sasuke recoiled in disgust and is ready to kill the person in front of him. "You!"

The older man stood up and dusted himself. "Well then." He turned to Sakura who was sitting beside Sasuke and gave her a lopsided grin. "Looks like you'll be able to have that opportunity to do that 'thing', Haruno-chan."

Sakura stared back at him in confusion. Apparently, she was too busy in restraining the irate Uchiha so she wasn't able to get a grasp of what Kakashi had said.

"Are you all right, Sasuke-san?" she asked him. Her hand went up to touch his shoulder. Sasuke flinched from the contact and averted his gaze at her. Sakura winced at his cold stare and she was suddenly afraid that he might explode at any moment.

"I…I'm all right," he mumbled quietly, trying his best to rein his temper. Running a hand through his hair, he raised himself off the ground. Keeping in mind that Sakura was also sitting down on the ground beside him, he stretched out a hand to her. "Just take it," he offered grimly, focusing his gaze at the darkening sky instead at her.

The pink girl accepted his offer anyway and gingerly pulled herself up. Both teens faced their teacher who was still grinning ear-to-ear. Sasuke resumed glaring at him while Sakura went back to being a blushing bride. Kakashi stopped smirking and his expression turned serious.

"Seeing the groom is no longer psychologically incapacitated, we'll continue with the ceremony." He opened his bible to where a clipping of his favorite book was pasted and pretended to read some biblical passages. Kakashi smiled inwardly through his mask as he shifted his gaze from the book to the fuming male in front of him. _'If this wasn't reality, I'm sure that I'm seeing smoke coming out of his ears…'_

Trying hard not to laugh, he coughed then cocked his head to one side. "Well…now that Haruno-chan finally gave her most awaited answer, it's your turn…" Sasuke continued to glare at him but he didn't care. "Uchiha Sasuke-kun," he finished with a hint of slyness on his voice.

"Do you take my favorite and innocent Haruno Sakura-chan to be your lawfully wedded wife? _Despite the fact that you would eventually face thousands of crying females and probably, males waiting to get a hold of your ass just because you didn't choose either one of them to become the future Mr./Mrs. Uchiha_?"

Sasuke blinked. "What the…?" This wasn't how it sounded in those sappy and romantic J-doramas that Itachi forced him countless times to watch! Kakashi could pull his perverted and flashy stunts to Sakura but not to him. He clenched a fist and was about to interrupt but Kakashi babbled still, obviously paying no attention to him.

"_And not to mention that a few years from now, while you're taking your walk down the streets, you suddenly caught your face on the cover page of a magazine with an article that says you were married to a very beautiful but unidentified young girl when you were still in high school!_" Kakashi placed both hands on his cheeks and sighed dreamily.

"Wait a minute! You…"

"_Sooner or later the whole world would know that little tidbit! Next, your reputation would suddenly go down the drain with hundreds of fan mails filling up your mailbox with sappy letters of unrequited love and declaration. Finally, you have no other choice but to find 'that' girl and prove to everyone else that you finally found true love. And for them to stop bothering you,_" he continued, totally wrapped up in his own fantasy.

"Wait! You…I oughta…"

"_After that, you and your 'wife' would get back to each others arms again and continue where you left off! Ahh . . . then you're going to spend your honeymoon in a secluded hot springs that is only found within the deeper recesses of a forest. And then you and your luscious wife would take a bath together and you can't seem to take your eyes off her because you're watching the warm water cascading down her pale succulent body._" A full-fledged blush crossed Kakashi's cheeks as he gave a girlish squeal of delight.

"_And then after that, you reached out to her. After giving her a hot wet torrid kiss you placed your hand on her and then you and ending it with a . Ahhhhhh, what an earth-shattering climax!_"

"THAT'S IT! I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!" Sasuke cried out. He fixed his hand firmly over Kakashi's covered mouth, effectively stopping him from talking. The lazy-eyed teacher broke out from his reverie and stared languidly at the still fuming but red-faced young man.

"Why? You're eventually going to do that in the future," he said innocently.

Goodness, he was now seeing blood. "Don't try to test my patience, old pervert!"

"Oh…maybe you prefer boys over girls? And is that blood coming out of your nose?"

Sasuke poised his other hand into a fist and aimed it for Kakashi's face. "That's it! Even though you're a teacher, you're going to pay for insulting my sexuality!" He was about to make big blow to his face when Sakura wrapped her hands around his fist. He glared menacingly at her. "What…the?"

"Stop it, Sasuke-san! I apologize for my teacher's aberrant behavior but please try to remember that you're in a school! And you shouldn't try to hit those who're older than you because it's bad!" she reasoned out, her eyes watery.

"I…" he began. _Damn it, what's with girls and all their crying?_ Realizing that she had a point, he sighed then dropped his hand to his side. All of a sudden he felt tired and all he ever wanted right now is to go back to his own room and sleep. He mentally bonked himself. Of course he wouldn't be able to go home unless he do Itachi's evil deed.

But first…

Sasuke plastered a reserved expression on his face, the kind he reserved for his parents when they last met and spoke calmly with formality. "Haruno-san is right. I apologize for my apparently rude behavior. Let's finish this ceremony so that she could finally be able to meet with her 'true' boyfriend and I'll be on my way."

Kakashi blinked. He became confused. _'When did this kid learn to switch personalities? First he was a hotheaded brat and the next he's a cool and calculated individual? Unusual.'_ He shrugged his thoughts away, thinking that it was probably a trait that is commonly seen in students attending in Sunagakure. _'I wonder if he also know that other guy who shares this same personality…'_

"Very well, we shall now continue the ceremony. I'll rephrase my question. Uchiha Sasuke-kun, do you take Haruno Sakura-chan to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, till death do you part?"

"Hn."

Kakashi waved a finger at him in a mock gesture. "That's not the answer I've been wanting to hear from you Uchiha-kun."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Fine. I. Do."

"Splendid!" Kakashi clapped his hands together, relieved that the ceremony is finally over. "Now by the power invested in me by the members of the Marriage Committee, I declare you man and wife."

"Great! Now I can go!" Sasuke was about to turn tail and run when a hand latched onto his arm. He whipped his head sharply to see Kakashi grinning at him. He growled under his breath. He's now going to kill him for sure! "What is it?"

Kakashi stole one glance at his pink-haired student then to the boy in front of him. "Before you go, you forget to do one teensy weensy thing."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. He was already itching to go home and face his brother's supposed wrath. And at that moment, he's willing to listen and do whatever the perverted guy will say. "Look, I'm in a hurry. You better tell me right now so that I could do it fast and leave this place!"

"All right, if you said so." Kakashi let go of his arm and grinned widely that the contours of his upturned mouth were evident behind his mask.

"You forgot to…"

* * *

**A/N:** There you have it, Chapter 15! Sorry for the late posting but we just finished our finals and my brain is still recovering from its horrendous torture. It's going to be my last semester in the next few days so now I'm going to do my best in updating this fic! I'm in dire need of your suggestions and if you ever want to, you can give me a mail or add it to your reviews.

By the way, I'm going to post another batch of names in my "Thank You Bulletin" in the next chapter. And if you get lucky, I'm going to dedicate a chapter in your name! That is, if you're going to correctly answer the question posted below:

Kakashi said, "You forgot to…" – What are the next missing lines?

Please don't forget to post your answer and what you think of the story. Criticisms are also welcome and don't forget to give some suggestions (man, I'm asking too much! But it's for the good of the story…).

Oops! I forgot! Here's an excerpt from the next chapter!

…………

Next to him, Sakura was getting restless. She glanced at her watch and sighed in relief. "Three minutes…" she noted. She began tapping her fingers on her lap in an effort to pass the time. "After this, I'm going to make a call and apologize to Neji-kun…"

On the other hand, Kakashi mentally counted the remaining minutes while reading his book. 'Three minutes left,' he smirked to himself. Eyeing the two youngsters at the corner of his eye, his smirk widened.

_It was a very good thing that these two brats were entirely clueless of what they're going to get themselves into…_

…………

What do ya think? Once again, arigatou gozaimasu and ja!


	16. Missies, Kisses & Cooties

Disclaimer: Naruto not mine.

A/N: Will Naruto and Tenten find Sasuke in time? Will Neji and his thugs finally locate Sakura? Will Kakashi ruin the entire festival? What will happen to Sakura when she starts to have second thoughts? Will Sasuke be able to find a girl at the end of the festival and show it to his brother?

Finally, the biggest question is, will he go back to his dorky self after spending the entire day wearing his normal clothes?

The conclusion to the "School Affairs" arc. Or is it? For those who guessed the correct answer, I award you imaginary Sasuke plushies in his dorky attire!

Well, read on!

* * *

Chapter 15: Missies, Kisses and Cooties

* * *

"Uchiha-kun, my dear boy, **you forgot to kiss the bride**."

Silence hung in the air.

Sasuke's onyx eyes widened twice its normal size. Sweat beaded his forehead and his palms itched. All of a sudden, the angry flaring of his temper dissipated. "D-Did you just say…KISS?" he croaked, his voice weak and shaky.

"Yes, Uchiha-kun. Don't tell me you didn't know that? After a couple has been officially declared man and wife, they must share a kiss to seal their love for each other. It's tradition, you know."

"I-I know that! It's just that I…" the raven teen gulped. _How am I going to explain this to them? Its plain obvious that they won't understand!_ His complexion paled two times its original color. His breathing quickened. Seeing Kakashi's perverted face even made his condition turn worse. The lecher was anticipating 'that' from the beginning!

Sakura, on the other hand, went still as a statue. She quivered underneath her wedding veil. No way! There was no way that Sasuke-san would kiss her. It was against…it was against everything! And worse, Neji might kill her if she would even allow the stoic Uchiha to steal a kiss, even a peck from her!

Turning to her teacher, she spoke in a quiet tone, "Sensei, I think that's no longer necessary. We already caused Sasuke-san lots of trouble." She glanced at Sasuke who was already as pale as a ghost. "It's alright, Sasuke-san. You can now leave. Don't worry; you don't have to do that…k-kiss…"

Kakashi pouted. "That's not fair! You should follow the rules of holy matrimony! I'm not going to end this wedding unless you get a kiss from your bratty husband!"

The girl sweat dropped after touching the Uchiha's shoulder. "But he's now as cold as ice! You're scaring him!" Sakura protested. From the looks of things, it appeared that Sasuke got tongue-tied due from the shock.

"Harrumph! The rules are simple. Kiss the bride or no leaving," the older man stated calmly. "After all, this is expected from a wedding."

Sasuke finally snapped out from his trance. "Expected? Bah! You just want to make a fool out of me! The wedding's already over! Finished! Ka-put! So there's no way I'm going to do your stupid biddings from here on!"

Kakashi hid a laugh behind his hand. "Really? Then why are you still here, Uchiha-kun? Even if you leave, I'm going to consider you a classified G-A-Y because you ultimately refused to kiss a girl. Particularly," he pulled Sakura in between them. "Your wife right here."

"I told you she's not my…"

"Girlfriend. Pshaw, that's already dead news to me. You said, "I do" in front of Sakura and me so officially, you're married to her. At this point," Kakashi scratched his head. "Haruno-chan may not be your girlfriend but she's still your wife. At least play the role of a love struck husband and kiss her like the good little boy you are."

"I…" Sasuke trailed off. This guy was totally persistent! He stole a glance at Sakura who was hiding her reddened face under her veil. '_How will I tell them? How?_' He asked himself angrily. Bearing in mind that they were waiting for his answer, he sighed. It was now or never. He had to tell them.

He took a deep breath then tried again. "I…It's not like I…oh hell!" Sasuke threw his hands up in exasperation. "I don't want to kiss her dammit! Isn't that reason enough?" He immediately turned to Sakura. "I'm sorry but it's the truth. I don't want it and I already know you don't either."

The pink-haired girl nodded her head weakly since she was too dazed by his rejection. After all, she didn't want to force the Uchiha into doing something he didn't want to do. Sakura wrung her hands tightly, biting back an onslaught of tears. Suddenly she felt hurt because of the Uchiha's rebuff.

Now, she understood why he would never like her since the beginning. To him, she was only a nuisance, someone he only needed as a scapegoat to get away from his fan girls. She already anticipated this so why did she feel…disappointed?

Summoning up her remaining courage, she lifted her wedding veil from her face. Sakura gave a small smile at her teacher and grasped his arm. Kakashi looked at her inquiringly. "Sasuke-san is right, Kakashi-sensei. I already told you before that he's really in a hurry to leave. And unfortunately, someone important to me is also waiting for my return," she explained.

Luckily, Kakashi accepted her answer. He simply gave her a pat on the head. "If that's what you want, Haruno-chan. However, since you're not going to kiss each other, will you do me one last favor?" He turned to Sasuke next, giving him a keen eye. "Especially you, Uchiha-kun?"

Since it was a last request, Sasuke immediately agreed. Kakashi gave a huge grin then placed one hand on Sakura's shoulder, the other on Sasuke's. "I want the three of us to watch the fireworks display. Together."

Both teens blinked upon hearing the request. "Just that?" Sasuke asked.

"Yep. Just that."

Sakura smiled in relief. "Alright, Kakashi-sensei." _Afterwards, I have some explaining to do…

* * *

_

6:50 PM

10 minutes left until the Fireworks Display…

"Itachi-san!"

Itachi whirled around to see Tenten and Naruto heading towards him. The two teens finally stopped in front of him with heaving breaths. He raised a brow. "Oh, it's you two. How've you been doing?" he asked, by way of greeting.

Tenten was the first to recover. "We're fine. By the way, Itachi-san, what are you and Kisame-san doing here? Don't tell me that you're here to enjoy the festival!"

"Or maybe you're here for the fireworks display!" Naruto exclaimed then added, "Is that the reason why you brought Kisame-san here with you?" He lifted up his little finger in emphasis. "As your date?"

Kisame turned pink while Itachi glared at the blond kid. "Absolutely not! I'm only here because of Sasuke. That darn kid still hasn't returned after I asked him to do something for me."

Naruto grinned childishly. "If you say so, Itachi-san."

"So did you find him?" Kisame asked hopefully. He hated having Itachi hurtling his anger towards him. "We've almost scoured the entire school searching for his ass."

Tenten gave the older guy a sharp glance. "Don't even think about getting Sasuke's ass, Kisame-san!"

"That was just a comment!"

"Even so!"

"Hai, hai. That's enough," Itachi intervened, shaking his head wryly. He clapped his hands to bring their attention to him. "Since we all have the same goal, why don't we join forces?"

Naruto clasped his hands together in some sort of prayer. "Good idea! We will be able to locate Sasuke-chan at this rate! So where do we start?"

"Hmm…" Itachi began to think. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hyuuga Neji prancing around the area like a mad animal. The longhaired teen just darted through another corner after talking to someone wearing a red football jersey. _'Now that's new; Sakura-san's not with him. Unless…'_ an idea crossed his mind. _'…Sasuke's with her.'_

He snapped his fingers. "Kisame!"

His shark-like cohort rushed to his side. "What is it, Itachi-san?"

"I want you and the others to look over that side." Itachi pointed at the farther side of the school grounds where other stalls were located. "If possible, go and ask for Sasuke's whereabouts. Knowing my brother's fame, I'm sure there're a lot of girls out there who might've caught a glimpse of him."

Kisame nodded eagerly. Tenten did also while Naruto raised his hand. "I have a question! What about you, Itachi-san? What are you going to do?"

Itachi shrugged. "Bathroom break." He quickly made eye contact with Kisame, telling him to take the two and go. His friend nodded again in response.

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Oh."

"Enough of that, you brat! We have to look for Itachi's little brother!" Kisame interrupted, grabbing Tenten and Naruto by their waists. The shark guy strolled away from the scene, dragging the squirming teens along.

Finally alone, the raven-haired Uchiha gave a sigh. He then scratched his head. "Stupid Sasuke. He left a measly clue to point out his whereabouts. And worse, he must've taken Sakura-san with him. No wonder the Hyuuga kid is uptight and searching for them."

He gave another sigh and walked towards the direction where Neji disappeared.

* * *

6:52 PM

8 minutes left until the Fireworks Display…

"Ahhhh…this is the life," Kakashi exclaimed as he stared at the two youngsters sitting next to him. They were drinking tea while waiting for the fireworks to commence. Sakura gave a little smile while she gazed at the night sky. Sasuke shrugged.

The lazy-eyed teacher put his cup aside. "What's with the sad faces? Shouldn't you be happy that you two are about to watch the fireworks together?"

Sakura stopped sipping her tea, setting the cup down on her lap. "Um…we're…actually, I'm delighted that I'm going to watch the fireworks with you sensei. But I'm…"

"…Not pleased because Neji is not with you," Sasuke interrupted curtly. When she turned to glare at him, he added while sipping his own tea, "You don't have to deny it. I can see in those eyes of yours that you wanted this over and done with. Not because Neji's waiting for you to return, but he might do something bad to you because you disappeared right in front of his eyes."

Sakura threw her head back in a huff. "That's none of your business, Sasuke-san. Don't meddle into my relationship with Neji-kun!"

The raven teen held up a hand. "Geez, I'm sorry. It's not that I'm putting my foot in your business but it's the truth. I've known Neji for quite a long time even before you met him." His onyx eyes then watched the sky while contemplating in deep thought. Afterwards, he shifted his gaze to the people setting up the fireworks to be used tonight.

She was about to protest but after seeing the Uchiha's intense concentration, she clamped her mouth shut. Instead, she focused her attention on her half-filled cup. "Before, he told me that you were his childhood friend. Now, I'm wondering…if you were really **that** close," she commented carefully.

He took another sip of his tea. "Hn, if you put it in Hyuuga's terms, yeah probably. Well, the guy's a tough one. Even at a young age, he's gung ho at heart. If you block his path, then you're surely in for a beating."

"Are you telling me that he's violent?" Sakura asked, bewildered. "I thought that it was just like him to be that…that…way."

Sasuke sighed as he looked at her surprised expression. "You don't really know him at all, do you?" When she failed to answer, he sighed again. "Well, never mind. You don't have to know."

"I want to know." Her expression was defiant.

He finished his tea and tossed the cup into the garbage can. "Well, I don't want you to know."

"You're an unlikable person, do you know that?"

"Tell that to my 15 billion fans out there."

Sakura let out an exasperated sigh. "You're incorrigible. No wonder you and Neji-kun have to go on each other's throats all the time."

"Hn."

Kakashi called their attention. "Ssshhhh! Keep quiet! The fireworks are about to start!"

The two teens turned their backs on each other and focused their attention instead on the incoming fireworks display. Sakura counted the remaining minutes. '_Eight more to go_', she whispered to herself as she fidgeted on her seat.

* * *

6:54 PM

4 minutes left until the Fireworks Display…

Neji cursed loudly as he quickened his pace. Sure, it was the most unlikely place in the world but he was mighty positive that she would eventually be there. He gritted his teeth as he dodged several couples along the way. Damn, they were all set in watching the fireworks while he was still searching for his missing partner.

Talk about having enough bad luck for just one day.

"Where the hell is she?" he growled, stopping momentarily from his walk. He scanned his entire surroundings for a while. Plowing his hands through his hair, he cursed again. After running in circles, he was aware enough that he had searched the entire school. But there was still no sign of Sakura everywhere.

How the hell did that happen?

The last thing he knew was that he got hit with four brown paper bags of what seemed to be filled with octopus balls on his head. Afterwards, a blur of black clouded his vision and before he knew it, he smacked his lips on the smooth steel of the lamppost.

And then, Sakura disappeared.

"I swear, once I see her again…" he gritted his teeth. He kicked the trashcan next to him. "Once I see her again, I'll definitely make her pay." Neji then turned on his heel and stomped out of the school. It wouldn't be pleasurable to watch the fireworks anymore because he had no one to share it with.

…………

Itachi rolled the crick on his neck as he strolled. It was already night time and his damn brother was still nowhere to be found. Earlier, he lost track of Neji who kept on going through different pathways, which even he eventually hit, the dead end.

"After this antique stall, there is another one that sells cosmetics." The older Uchiha raised a hand up and looked at his well-manicured nails. One dark brow shot up when he noticed a barely visible white line on the polished nail of his pointer finger. Itachi sighed as he realized that he chipped his nail polish.

He tapped a finger under his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…since I ran out of purple nail polish, maybe I'll stop by that stall and buy some," he said. He was about to round up to another corner when familiar voices reached past his ears. A thin smile curled his lips. "Well…well…well…" he whispered slyly to the wind as he followed the direction of the voices.

It was a good thing that he went alone.

…………

6:57 PM

Sasuke fidgeted in his seat. Three minutes left…and he was home free. He stole a glance at Kakashi and sweat dropped when he saw that the older man reading an erotic novel.

"Perverted freak," he mumbled to himself. _'If it weren't for that silver-haired jerk, I wouldn't be wasting my time here,'_ he added as an afterthought.

Next to him, Sakura was getting restless. She glanced at her watch and sighed in relief. "Three minutes…" she noted. She began tapping her fingers on her lap in an effort to pass the time. "After this, I'm going to make a call and apologize to Neji-kun…"

On the other hand, Kakashi mentally counted the remaining minutes while reading his book. 'Three minutes left,' he smirked to himself. Eyeing the two youngsters at the corner of his eye, his smirk widened.

It is a very good thing that these two brats are entirely clueless of what they're going to get themselves into… 

…………

"Hey, are you sure this is the right way?"

"I'm positive! So move, brat!"

Tenten sighed as she watched Naruto and Kisame engage in a verbal sparring. Her brown bun had already gone in the knots because of her unremitting urge to pull her hair out of frustration. She shoved her blond friend away from Kisame's reach. "That's enough, Naruto. You shouldn't pick a fight with Kisame-san at this time. We still have to search for Sasuke."

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Kisame. "But this shark guy is wasting our time because he's leading us to the wrong direction! We'll never be able to see Sasuke-chan and worse, he probably got mauled by girls!"

"You're overreacting again foxface. Sasuke's too strong for that," Tenten interjected. She bonked him on the head. "I'm sure Kisame-san will lead us to the correct path, right Kisame-san?"

"Hm?" Kisame turned to her at the sound of his name. His nostrils were flaring and steam was shooting out. Naruto squeaked and hid behind her back as the older man resumed his sniffing for any trace of their raven-haired friend's scent.

Naruto sweatdropped. "I just hope we'll be able to find him soon. Because if we don't, we'll find ourselves inside Kisame-san's nose instead."

* * *

6:59 PM

"That's it. I'm getting out of here."

Sakura didn't say a word as Sasuke stood up from his seat and about to leave. She twiddled her fingers nervously as she gave an inward sigh. Finally, that feeling of uneasiness would soon be over.

But her sensei wouldn't stop in pulling the Uchiha's leg. Literally.

"Leaving so soon? Ah, I see you're getting bored." Kakashi waved a finger dramatically at Sasuke as if shooing him away. "You can go now. Shoo. Shoo."

Now he was being treated like a fly. Resisting an urge to plant his fist on the other guy's cheek, Sasuke turned his back from them and started to walk away. He was inches away from the two when he heard Sakura gasp aloud and a loud BOOM was heard.

"Ah!"

He snapped his head back to look at her only to find that she was staring at the dark sky. And obviously, she was enthralled at the picturesque display of fireworks above them. Also awed at the colorful sparks, Sasuke unconsciously walked back to Sakura's side in hopes of getting a better view.

As the fireworks progressed, he heard Sakura sigh. The pink-haired teen clasped her fingers together as if in a prayer. "I wish Neji-kun were here…" she whispered quietly. Taking note that the Uchiha was standing stiffly next to her, she smiled sheepishly. "But, I'm also glad that you're here watching the fireworks with me, Sasuke-san."

He looked away. "Whatever."

Taking that as a good response coming from him, she just gave a small giggle. The fireworks finally stopped and the announcer boomed that there would be another one shortly. The two teens began to fidget due to uneasiness. Sakura broke the silence with another giggle.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked, unnerved.

"Oh, nothing." She turned her gaze away as if she knew something that he didn't. He spun her around by the shoulder to face him. Sasuke's eyes pierced through her green orbs as if he was reading her out. "What are you laughing about, little girl?" he drawled.

A full-fledged blush stained her cheeks. Was he flirting with her? She only stuck her tongue out to annoy him further. "I'm not going to tell you!" she retorted childishly.

He gave a sound of annoyance. "If you don't want to tell me then fine!" He crossed his arms then mimicked her gesture earlier. Sakura giggled. Seeing Sasuke sticking his tongue out at her was funny.

Another announcement was then made. The fireworks would resume after the ten-second countdown. At the background, the couples rejoiced as they sidled with each other knowing this was the moment they'd all been waiting for.

Sakura sighed as she stared at the sky wistfully. On the other hand, Sasuke fumed as he saw the clinging couples. Maybe this was what Haruno and that bastard Hyuuga had been waiting for.

BUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

They were so busy sorting their thoughts when unknowingly, a big honeybee suddenly landed on top of an unsuspecting head. Sasuke just glared at the sky while waiting for the fireworks to commence. Sakura averted her gaze from the sky when she noted a yellow and black striped insect about to unleash its stinger on Sasuke's scalp.

Sakura tapped him cautiously by the shoulder. Keeping in mind that if the bee were provoked due to unsuspecting movement, Sasuke would be history.

"S-Sasuke…san…" she whispered.

He shrugged her hand away while he keeping his eyes peeled on the sky. "Not now Haruno, I'm waiting for the fireworks to begin."

The tapping continued. "B-But Sasuke-san! There's a B…b….be…."

"I said not now. I'm trying to watch here. Go find someone else to bother like that perverted sensei of yours."

The bee lay unmoved and Sakura was about to rip her hair out when it began to make angry buzzing sounds. It was starting to make its attack. She tried to make it go away by flapping her hands on Sasuke's head only to smack him hard on the face. The Uchiha yelled angrily as he tried to protect himself from the assault.

He glared at her. "What the hell! Haruno…I…"

The people began to count. 10! …9! …8! …7! …6!

"There's a bee on top of your head!" She yelled back as she stood on tiptoes to continue fending the bug off. Sasuke tried to stop her and ended up holding her wrists in front of him. He glared down at her pink head. "Haruno! If you're not going stop this foolishness of yours, I'll…"

…5! …4! …3!

"But you don't understand! There's a bee! ON TOP OF YOUR HEAD!" Sakura cried out and jerked her head up to look at him. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she muttered a small "Oooommphh!"

…2! …1!

The next batch of fireworks began to set in and the couples grabbed each other for a kiss. The entire surroundings were hot and steamy as the people engaged themselves in a tight lip lock as red and white fireworks adorned the skies forming into huge heart patterns.

In the midst of it all, two people were not exactly that comfortable with the situation. Onyx eyes went wide as saucers and reflecting back into its emerald counterparts as he tried to form a coherent thought in his mind. But his brain wouldn't function because of the new experience and the said occurrence was well…shocking.

Good thing he wasn't hypoglycemic or else he might had ended up lying down on the floor in the pool of his own blood. Or to have a lot of fainting spells that would eventually led to vertigo.

And before he knew it he began to have an itch.

Because he kissed Haruno Sakura and he damned knew well that it was forbidden territory.

"_Hyuuga would surely kill me now."

* * *

_

9:00 PM

Uchiha Household

While putting the finishing touches to the Oolong tea he was making, Itachi smiled to himself. "Now that was a fun festival," he said loudly, knowing that it would be heard outside the kitchen.

He was awarded with a loud groan and he snickered. After pouring the tea into two glasses, he stepped outside the kitchen and observed the blanketed figure huddled on the floor. "You know that that's not going to work either, Sasuke."

Sasuke flinched but didn't make a move to remove the blanket. Itachi tugged on the hem of the blanket. "Quit it ototou, you're not a child."

"I don't want to!"

The older Uchiha tugged harder and managed to pull the blanket off. His ototou cried in terror as though he were in pain. Itachi bonked him on the head with a bottle of calamine lotion.

"Stupid punk. Why would you even cover yourself up with a blanket? You enjoyed the festival. I can see it in your eyes," he commented.

Sasuke huffed as he opened the bottle, squeezed a bit of pink goo and slapped it on his arms. He rubbed his skin with the lotion until the liquid turned into a sticky paste. He then turned to face his brother with a sour-faced look.

"I so not enjoyed it!" He lifted his reddened arms for Itachi to see. "Look at me! I'm getting all itchy because you made me do your stupid errand!" Sasuke began to twitch and scratched his arms.

Itachi stifled a laugh. "Really? Ah, that's a very bad sign. What do you call that symptom wherein you experience itchiness and welts that cover your entire body? It's…"

Sasuke answered loudly. "COOTIES!"

"…An allergic reaction. Really Sasuke. You're 19 years old and yet you chose to retain your childhood fantasies. Cooties are only figments of your puny brain," his brother explained dryly.

"But! You will only get cooties when you're in contact with girls! And I've been mobbed by several fangirls during that festival!"

"Ha-ha-ha. Listen to yourself. So you're telling me that even if you hang out with Tenten you also get cooties? Please enlighten me on that one."

"Well I…" Now he was speechless. He never gave a thought about that little tidbit.

His older brother gave a low laugh as he handed Sasuke his tea and patted him on the head. "Just so you know, you could only get cooties whenever you get a **kiss** from a girl. Don't tell me you have forgotten that one piece of information too, ototou?"

The image of his brother's pale face and large eyes burned into his memory as Itachi sauntered his way back to his room. Once inside, he heard a door slam and loud cursing could be heard. He sat back on his chair, faced the computer and flicked the Power button.

The screen lit open and Itachi made a few clicks with his mouse. After a while, he leaned back into his seat and admired his handiwork. "Yep, he'll eventually gonna kill me on this one. But this picture's too cute for me to get rid of."

Satisfied, he eyed the screensaver of his little brother kissing particularly, a veiled pink-haired girl. "And they already looked like a couple in this picture," he mused. Finally, he turned off the power then climbed in bed with a smirk planted firmly on his lips.

Even though Sasuke failed to do what he supposedly had to do, he was still satisfied at the snapshot he accidentally took of him. 'The fireworks sure served as a pretty background for those kids…' Itachi mused as he finally drifted off to sleep.

Yep, tomorrow is going to be another fine day.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Finally! We posted a chapter! So how was it? Was it good? (Wipes an imaginary tear) It's been a long time and I want to apologize to you guys for the delay because my beta reader and I are now in separate classes and we have a tough time adjusting our free periods.

But at least I'm safe from her evil clutches for now! (Haha) Anyways, I will post the names for my "Thank You" corner in the next chapter so please be patient. Don't forget to give me that much wanted review! Don't be afraid to tell me what you guys think, ok? See ya on the next chapter!

Question of the day:

"What do you think will happen next?"


	17. The Dreaded Tot Project

Disclaimer: Nope. Never owned Naruto.

A/N: Hisashiburi! It's been a long time since I started this story and I want to apologize for my very looooonnng absence (bows head). Anyways, the next chapter's here and I kind of feel bad that the previous one was way…off. But don't worry! I promise to clear things up so please be patient! So anyways, please enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

Chapter 17: The Dreaded Tot Project

* * *

6:30 AM

Sunlight filtered through the blinds. Birds chirped as they met the replenishing light of the sun. A knocking sound could be heard behind the glass panes as the birds flapped their wings for the sudden distraction.

"Ototou! Wake up now or you'll be late for school!"

A raven head popped out from the blankets as he focused his sleepy eyes at the nightstand clock.

"Six-thirty. Too early," he thought groggily. He yawned as he snuggled back down on the covers.

The pounding on his door continued. "SASUKE!"

"Yeah…yeah. I'm up, I'm up," he muttered under his breath. He used his arms to push himself into a sitting position. Scratching his head wryly, Sasuke climbed out of bed then dragged himself to answer the door.

He flung the door open to meet his older brother's irritated face. "What do you want, 'nisan? It's only six-thirty in the morning," he yawned.

Itachi bonked him on the head with a spatula. "Foolish little brother! Don't you know that you only have thirty minutes left to fix yourself up and haul your ass off to school?" Seeing his brother rubbing his head, he sighed as he made his way back to the kitchen to cook.

Sasuke made a face. "I wonder what made him so cocky in the morning…" Instead of pondering over the matter, he shrugged his shoulder and marched towards the bathroom.

…………

Minutes later, the two brothers sat face to face at their small square table. Itachi tried not to cringe as he took note of the bright orange long-sleeved turtleneck and kitschy brown khakis that Sasuke wore. His brother on the other hand kept on eating, unaware that the other was observing his lowly garb.

"Sasuke."

"Hm?"

"I really hate seeing you in those horrible clothes."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Change them."

"No."

"Brat."

"Heh." Sasuke smirked as he slurped his miso soup and presented his brother with an empty bowl. "More."

Itachi rolled his eyes as he gave him another helping. "Haven't you looked at the time? You're going to be late, ototou."

As soon as he received the bowl, Sasuke resumed eating. He was still chewing as he answered, "That would be all right, 'nisan. Today's cleaning day. And since I'm the only one assigned to do the job for the Cleaning Group, it's okay for me to be late."

His brother snorted. "That's a load of bull. Tardiness was never included in the Uchiha Family's Code of Ethics. Tomorrow I want you to get out of here as early as 6:00 am sharp. Got that?"

Sasuke finished his meal and muttered a word of thanks. "Yep."

As they cleared the table, Itachi suddenly remembered something. Turning to his brother who was busy washing the dishes, he smirked. "Say, ototou, how are your cooties coming along?"

It was a good thing he finished rinsing the plate or he would've threw it on Itachi's head. Sighing, he placed it on the rack to dry. "After you informed me that cooties are only figments of one's imagination, I decided to remove that word out of my dictionary."

Itachi laughed. "You're such a simpleton."

"Whatever." He wrung his hands dry with a rag then used it to wipe the counter clean. He could still feel his brother's burning gaze behind his back and it was starting to annoy him. Itachi was still laughing and clutching his sides.

He held up his hands. "Okay, okay. Sorry I laughed at ya." When Sasuke stuck his tongue at him, he chuckled. "But really. You do have a weird sense of humor, Sasuke."

"I do not!"

"If you say so..." Itachi said in a singsong voice.

"Hmf! I'm leaving," Sasuke stomped out of the kitchen, the sounds of his brother's laughter ringing throughout the entire house.

* * *

8:00 AM

Konoha Academy…

"Man, what a day!" Naruto stretched his arms as he eyed the sun admiringly. He was bonked with a broom on his head. He glared at the person who hit him. "T! Watch your broom!"

Tenten raised her broom high in an attempt to hit him again. "You're staring into space, you lazy ass! If you want me to stop knocking your head off with a broom, you better do what I say!"

"No freaking way! I'm not going to help you anymore. Instead, I'll just go and help Sasuke-chan with his cleaning!" With that he dropped his broom and headed to where their bespectacled friend was, sweeping off all the clutter that was left after yesterday's festivities.

Tenten's nostrils flared. "Of all the nerve…! I'll definitely kill him later." She turned her attention back to her work, sweeping the leaves vigorously with her broom.

…………

Sasuke finished piling up the mess. Now, he was putting them inside the garbage bags so that the janitor would pick them up afterwards. While he worked, his thoughts drifted to last night's conversation with his brother.

"_Just so you know, you could only get cooties whenever you get a **kiss** from a girl. Don't tell me you have forgotten that one piece of information too, ototou?"_

"Damn you, 'nisan," he muttered under his breath. He scooped a pile of dried leaves and dropped them into the bag.

'_Doesn't he know that cooties are real? And besides, there are lots of girls out there who went after me. Of course, one of them could be the one who managed to snag a kiss from me!'_

After filling up the bag, he formed a knot to close it. He tossed it next to the other two finished bags. He was about to grab another bag, when out of nowhere a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his neck.

"SA-SU-KE-CHAN!!!!" Naruto greeted him with a shrill voice.

Lord, he almost died from the shock. "What the heck are you doing, you dumb fox! And," He bonked him with his fist hard on the head. "Keep your voice down when you're calling my name! Are you planning to blow my cover?"

Naruto rubbed his head gingerly then grinned. "I can't help it. Whenever I see your handsome face, all I want to do is leap into your arms and give you an earth-shattering kiss!" He flung his arms out to Sasuke with his lips puckered up.

The raven-haired boy smacked his face with a broom. "Smooth move, Naruto. But I'm afraid I'm not going to give you an opportunity to simply glomp me like that."

"Why?" The blond sank down to the ground with his hand covering his face in shock. He pretended to be hurt. "Is it because I'm not woman enough for you? Or," he batted his thin lashes. "Is it because you're already with someone else?"

"What?" Sasuke tried not to laugh. He was now beginning to doubt Naruto's gender. "You're acting all weird these days, dobe. I think you've experienced quite too much sap while watching those favorite J-doramas of yours!"

The blond sniffed. "You're so mean! I've always wondered why of all the hot and gorgeous men I fell in love with…why should it be YOU!"

He sweatdropped. "Naruto…"

"I'm not going to listen to you anymore! I hate you! I hate YOU!"

And before they both knew it, they caught the attention of some passers-by who are, of course, judging them as weird or 'one of them was probably gay' sorts of things. Sasuke's cheeks tinged pink as he took hold of Naruto's arm, trying to pull him to his feet.

"Get up Naruto, you're causing a scene!" he hissed.

Naruto only glared at him. "No! Not unless you say you're sorry!"

"Dobe…"

"No!"

He gritted his teeth. Of all the nerve… "Fine, I'm sorry. Happy now?"

As if a balloon began to burst, Naruto's face entirely lit up. He clutched the hand that was holding him and squeezed it tightly. The crowd began their chorus of "Aaawwwwww…"

The blond sniffed. "I knew you'd never leave me out here crying for everyone to see, Suke-chan."

Damn he was getting annoyed. They're going to become the main attraction of their school. "Whatever. Let. Go. NOW."

With a look of utter happiness, Naruto relinquished his hold.

* * *

12:00 PM

School Rooftop…

'Man, what a day.'

He used his hand to fan himself. The afternoon sun was scorching hot. After Calculus Class, he headed straight to the rooftop to try and get some shuteye. Sasuke removed his glasses, heaving a sigh as he removed some flecks of grime from the lenses.

'How long am I going to keep this façade up? It was kinda weird that Chouji and his bunch of bullies didn't attack me this morning…' He ran his fingers through his slick black hair. 'Maybe…I'm not sure but I think they might've got an idea of who I really am…'

Creeeek!

Sasuke's head snapped to attention as the door opened and someone stepped outside. He cocked his head to one side when he saw the same familiar person who kept bugging his mind.

It was that Haruno girl again.

'_What's she doing here?'_ he thought. Suddenly he felt his arm began to itch. _'Shit,'_ he cursed then scratched himself. _'What the heck is happening to me? I'm scratching like crazy just by seeing this girl. It's like an allergic reaction or something…'_

His eyes widened.

"_Just so you know, you could only get cooties whenever you get a **kiss** from a girl. Don't tell me you have forgotten that one piece of information too, ototou?"_

No way.

Like the snapshots from a Polaroid, the memories from yesterday began to dawn on him.

The forced marriage… Kakashi's constant proddings…  
The Fireworks Display… And then… THE KISS! 

He blinked once then twice.

_Kiss? Kiss?_

**KISS?**

"Noooooooooo!!!!"

Thud!

…………

Sakura rubbed the soreness of her right cheek. Neji had hurt her…again. Before the classes started, she confronted the light-eyed Hyuuga and explained to him why she disappeared.

To her demise, instead of understanding her reason, he brought his hand up and slapped her hard on the cheek. The impact of the hit caused her to crash against the wall. Her back collided with the wall and she flinched not only from the pain but also from her boyfriend's vise-like grip around her neck.

"I never really want to hurt you, Saku-chan. But because of your desertion, I don't think I will forgive you at all." His grip tightened and she whimpered. "I suffered humiliation. You made me kiss a frickin' post! Do you think I would listen to whatever goddamn reasons you're giving me? Absolutely not."

Tears formed in her eyes. He was going to kill her. The look in his eyes was frightening her. She had to…she had to get away from him; she was being strangled by the one she loved. She was about to be choked to death in any second…

She let her tears fall. A single drop fell and splattered on the hand that was strangling her. As if he waking up from a trance, Neji blinked and upon realizing what he was doing, he released his grip on Sakura's neck. The girl sank down helplessly to the floor, her tears forming crystal pathways onto her cheeks.

Neji brought his hands up in disbelief. Did he really do that? Did he really hit Sakura? No…it wasn't him.

It was…

It was…

He tried to reach a hand out to her. "Saku-chan…I-I'm sorry." He grasped her by the shoulders and hugged her. "I promise, I won't hit you again. I was just… I got… I, oh damn, I'm just sorry, baby. I promise, I won't hurt you again. Please, forgive me."

She wanted to believe him but she couldn't handle the intense fear she was feeling right now. She wrenched herself out of Neji's grasp then fled away from him.

She needed some time alone.

…………

Soon she found herself standing at the rooftop. She was planning to have a good cry when she heard a gut-wrenching scream coming from behind her. She turned around to look and her emerald eyes widened when she saw who it was.

It was the nerd boy she befriended a few days ago.

And the boy fainted at the mere sight of her.

Concerned, she rushed to the boy's side. "Oh my, are you okay?" she asked, making a move to touch him. The boy, upon seeing her hand about to touch him, sat upright then raised his hand to indicate he was okay.

"Don't worry about me. I'm alright."

"Okay." Sakura faked a smile to hide another onslaught of tears. Her face was already red to begin with so she just rubbed it with her sleeve to remove the remnants of tears.

"Uhm…how should I say this… I," she greeted quietly. "Hello."

The boy, instead of responding, backed away from her.

Confusion etched her face. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh…no! N-nothing at all," the boy stammered and all of a sudden, tripped on his own foot. He stumbled backwards, hitting the wall behind him with a loud THUD!

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed.

Seeing that he was hurt, Sakura immediately rushed to his side for the second time. "Are you all right?"

He automatically slapped her hands away. "D-don't touch me!" He was all worked up with the 'cooties' syndrome and he didn't want to have another allergic reaction from the girl. Not yet.

"I…I'm sorry," Sakura mouthed weakly. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak. She tucked her hands on her lap and bowed her head. She was not yet recovered from the incident earlier and now she was being treated as an outcast. She sniffed.

'Looks like I'm not able to hold them back any longer…' 

Now it was Sasuke's turn to get worried. He crouched next to her and tapped her shoulder. "A-are you all right?" he asked. He never meant to sound so hoarse. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sound it like that!"

She looked up at him, allowing her tears to fall freely. She didn't bother to wipe them off anyway, she was already found out. "No it's okay, it's all right. It's just that…my tears won't stop. And I don't know why…"

"Oh." That was a weird answer.

He pulled out a wrinkled white handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to her. "You're an idiot, crying without any reason at all."

Still sniffing, she accepted the handkerchief. She wiped her tears then blew her nose out loud. Sasuke sweat dropped. He mentally reminded himself not to accept the handkerchief later. It was kind of gruesome to think about.

But first…

"Why are you crying?"

Sakura stopped. She toyed with the handkerchief, her green eyes dulling. "I…I don't think it's really any of your business. I…"

"Shit," he cursed. Running a hand through his hair, he eyed her coyly. "Would you be please stop with the _'It's none of my business'_ crap and just get on with it." When she didn't answer, he lifted her chin up, forcing her to look at him.

Sakura flinched. But this time, she was staring at a different person and not Neji-kun. "I…I don't know…"

"Just spill it." Man, he was getting restless.

And so she did.

* * *

2:30 PM

Inside the classroom…

Yuuhi Kurenai faced her class. "Okay class. Now that you've fully refreshed after the festival, I'm sure this time you're not going to complain of what I'm about to make you do." When the students started to whine, she glared at each one of them. "Oh, stop your whining! You're already in fourth year of high school so bear it."

Sasuke groaned. The one thing he hated most was being in Kurenai-sensei's class. And the worst part of it all…it was Home Economics. He watched Naruto obviously dozing off while Tenten was in some sort of deep thought.

He sighed. 'I hate this crap.'

"Well then. Now that I've all got your attention, we now have Jiraiya-sama to explain to us the details of our project."

The white-haired heavyset principal entered the room with a flourish. His easygoing grin annoyed some of the students. But to Sasuke, the lecher was evidently planning something, which was not good. He stood in front of the whole class, his grin widening even more.

"Good morning my beloved students! After the festival, I'm sure you're all tired right now, But! Due to the numerous amounts of money we received from the profits earned by the stalls, I'm happy to announce that you're going to have a fabulous project sponsored by yours truly!"

There was a loud groan from the entire student body.

Jiraiya coughed. "Well, aside from that, let me explain to you the objectives of our project. According to our Yes! Konoha magazine, the statistics of premarital sex is increasing. Although it is part of our human biology to reproduce, it's still a major factor to consider the age group in which sexual activity is to be rightfully allowed."

One student raised a hand. "Wait a minute sir, are you telling us that this project of yours is called **Sex Education**?"

The principal huffed. "Well…uh…yes."

The boys jeered. "OHHHH YEEEAAAAHHH!"

Kurenai glared at the principal. "But it won't be the kind of 'Sex Education' that you boys are thinking about."

"Awwwww…"

"Like we will let you!" The girls retorted.

"Anyway," the principal coughed, bringing back the attention towards him. "Like Kurenai-sensei here said earlier, this will be a different kind of Sex Education. Back to the statistics I'm talking about, in order to avoid the huge number of teenage pregnancies, we're conducting an educational program to serve as a wake up call to young teens out there to understand the consequences once they have tasted the path to eroticism."

Sakura fidgeted nervously. She and Neji certainly haven't gone to that level yet. 'Like I will allow him,' her inner self ranted. After their little bout at the hallway, she wanted to avoid him for now. She caught sight of the nerd boy who was sitting not far away from her. A small smile crossed her lips.

"If it weren't for him…I would've…" 

The principal continued his talk. "And now, we're going to discuss your project. Class, I want you to meet…" He held up something in his hand and the entire class gasped in shock.

"A DOLL?" Neji exclaimed. He was too pissed to even try to participate in a lousy project. And not to mention playing with girly girl toys.

"Yes, a doll. But this is no ordinary doll. It's called an infant simulator. Which means, this doll's programmed to cry, eat and move just, like a real baby. So don't be surprised if this little critter would suddenly just pee and poop at you," Jiraiya grinned then patted the doll on the back.

To everyone's surprise, the doll moved. It flailed its arms and began a shrill-pitched cry. The entire class went dead silent as the baby continued crying. Jiraiya smiled then handed the doll to Kurenai who shushed it with another pat on the back.

"Unbelievable. That doll's really something," Tenten concluded.

"So now let's get on with the project. The class will be split into pairs—one boy and one girl. Obviously, they will represent the Mom and the Dad. We'll assign them one infant simulator and together, they will take care of it for…" Kurenai looked at her notes. "A week."

Jiraiya presented two boxes and placed them on the teacher's desk. "Kurenai-sensei and I will now pick two names from the boxes. Take note, the partners assigned to you is permanent---until the week is over."

Kurenai stepped alongside the principal. "Well then, let's get the ball rolling!" She started to pick out names from the box.

"First pair: Neji and Ino."

Neji cursed under his breath. 'Great, the loudmouth Yamanaka is going to be my 'wife'. Ino groaned then resumed to pick on her nails.

"Second Pair: Hinata and Kiba."

Kiba gave a loud hoot while Hinata blushed.

The picking of the names continued until the pairs were down to four. Sasuke sighed as Jiraiya named the first two pairs. He stared at Tenten who stared back at him. He gave her a smile and to his surprise, she blushed and turned away.

"For the last two pairs…the first name would be," Jiraiya picked a name from the box then opened it. "The nerd boy."

All eyes traveled down to Sasuke. He gulped nervously, suddenly dreading the future that awaited him. 'Great. They're looking at me as if I'm a freak…' he thought ruefully. 'On second thought, I'm supposed to act like a geek…so that simply means I AM A FREAK.'

"Okay then," the principal proceeded to pick another name from the other box. "The nerd boy's partner will be…" As soon as he read the name, his eyes widened and his hands trembled as he began to read the name.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO?????????"

" NANIIIIII?"

* * *

A/N: There you have it, Chapter 16. My beta reader and I humbly apologize for the long update because our classes are inevitably separated and because of that we rarely get to see each other (Sniff! Sniff!). So that's why we were able to cut some of our busy schedule and came up with this chappie!

Thanks and many thanks to the readers of this story:

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The list will probably get longer but thank you very much! I'm not going to ask any questions today so I guess I'll just see you guys in the next chapter! It's good to be back! Ja! And don't forget to review! The next chapter will be posted in a few weeks so please be patient!


	18. Meet Mama and Papa!

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is not mine.

**A/N:** Okay, minna-san! Chapter 17 is now here! As always, don't forget to give me a comment about the story later on.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Meet Mama and Papa!**

* * *

"Okay then," the principal proceeded to pick another name from the other box. "The nerd boy's partner will be…" As soon as he read the name, his eyes widened and his hands trembled as he began to read the name.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO?????????"

…………

"No way!"

"Impossible!"

"This couldn't be happening!" Sasuke screamed. He was not yet recovered from the shock. _'Naruto? Naruto's going to be my partner for the whole week?'_

No way!

Naruto beamed. As if on cue, a loud drum roll could be heard and he was showered with rose petals. He sashayed himself towards Sasuke then placed his palms flat on the desk.

The Uchiha only glared at him. Naruto let out a girly scream then wrapped his arms around his neck. "Looks like we're going to be partners for a week, Suke-chan!"

Tenten rose from her seat. "Don't you dare touch him, foxface!"

"No way! It's been decided!" To everyone's surprise and to Tenten's horror, he nuzzled Sasuke's cheek. "Suke-chan's my partner and it's permanent!" He stuck his tongue out at her.

"No he's not!" Tenten shrieked as she lunged forward and attacked Naruto.

Kurenai sighed as she turned to Jiraiya. "If I'm not mistaken sir, I think Naruto slipped his name into the wrong box. There is no way a boy could be a mother."

The principal sweatdropped. '_Of course it is. Boys are not born with a uterus, ya know_.' "Right. We'll just pick another name then."

He reached inside the box then pulled out another paper. "All right! Since there was a big misunderstanding, we decided to have another name picked out from the box. And this time, we will make sure that this will be a girl."

"Awwww…and here I thought I would be spending the rest of my life, ehem, the rest of my week with Suke-chan," Naruto pouted. He gave Tenten a sly look. "Looks like it's going to be your huge breakthrough, T!"

Tenten bonked him on the head.

"Uhm…anyway," Jiraiya peered at the inside of the paper. He gave a small smirk as he announced the name.

"His partner will be…"

* * *

10:00 PM

Uchiha Household…

Itachi watched his brother pack his things inside a small duffel bag. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed idly. "What the hell are you doing? Don't tell me that you're spending the night with Naruto and Tenten again."

Sasuke zipped his bag shut. He gave his brother a wry look. "Look, I'm not going to spend the night with T and that rambunctious dobe. You see, I'm…" he gulped. Truth be told, he wasn't sure if his brother would allow him to have a weeklong stay outside their house just because of a silly Home Economics project.

"Well? I'm waiting, ototou."

He sighed in defeat. Well, Kurenai-sensei told the entire class to secure consent from parents and guardians so… "All right, I'll tell ya."

The older Uchiha looked at him with inquiry shining in his onyx orbs.

Sasuke gave a weak smile. "I'm going to spend the night with…with my wife, 'nisan. For the entire week."

"Oh, I see. Well then carry on and wait," All of a sudden, his brother's eyes widened. "YOU SAID WHAT?" He grabbed his brother by the collar and glared menacingly at him. "Repeat what you just said earlier, Uchiha Sasuke!"

His brother looked at him confusingly. "I'm spending the night?"

"No!" he snarled. "After that!"

"…With my wife?"

"Yes!" Itachi pressed his face closer to his brother. "How did you end up with a wife? Don't tell me that you hooked up with some hussy then got her pregnant!"

Sasuke blinked. _'What has gotten into his brother?'_ Suddenly an idea hit him. _'Oh, he thinks I got married for real…'_ He smirked as he decided to further annoy his brother.

Zipping his duffel bag shut, he slung it over his shoulder, his expression that of a proud man. "Yep. And haven't I told you that we even have a baby boy?"

The look on Itachi's face was priceless. Add the bulging eyes and pale face; it was really an awesome sight.

He laughed as he waved a hand dismissively. "I was just kidding, 'nisan. We have a project in Home Economics about sex and early pregnancies. We're assigned by Kurenai-sensei to take care of an infant simulator for a week. That's all."

"So you're going to be makeshift parents of a doll for seven days?" Itachi covered his mouth with his hand. "You've got be kidding me! And who in the right mind suggested this painstaking idea?" He laughed.

Finding himself in the hot seat instead of his brother, Sasuke scowled. He crossed his arms. "So? It's that stupid principal's fault! He kept on talking about the increasing number of pregnancies then BAM! I'm now a father of an electronic baby with a wife to boot!"

"I see," Itachi commented. "Would you mind telling me who is the lucky girl to become the mother of your 'baby'?"

Upon hearing his question, Sasuke's cheeks tinged pink. He stared hard at his hands then mumbled. "Haruno."

"Who?" Itachi cocked a hand to his ear then leaned closer to him. "I can't hear what you're saying, Sasuke."

"It's yours and Neji's favorite pet," he snarled as he eyed the clock. 'Yeah, and she's the one who caused me the dreaded cooties. She's also the one who…' he gritted his teeth.

His brother reduced his laughter to chuckles. "Oh, with the lovely Haruno-san? That's really cool, ototou. I've always wanted you and Sakura-san to end up together at the altar. It's fate."

Sasuke glared angrily at him. "No way! We've only been paired up together because of the project!"

"Hai, hai. I understand." Itachi looked at the clock then pretended to wince. "Aren't you supposed to be on your way now to your new wife? It's already 10:00 in the evening, ototou."

Sasuke glared at the clock too and upon seeing the time he cursed loudly. He then dashed to the door. "Shoot, I'm late!" Yanking the doorknob, he turned to his brother who was still laughing. "I'm going! See you after a week, 'nisan!" he shouted out as he finally left the house.

Still chuckling, the older Uchiha sat on the sofa. He pulled out his bottle of purple lame' nail polish and lots of cotton balls. Untwisting the cap, he began to coat his fingers with the polish while humming a tune from a wedding song.

"How cute. Even after the wedding ceremony they're still paired up as husband and wife?" he mused as he remembered the picture he took of them then put it as a screensaver for his computer.

"Maybe she could be the key in helping my brother come out from his façade."

* * *

10:45 PM

Konoha Academy…

"Gather round class!" Kurenai motioned the students to come forward to where she was standing. They were now standing in front of the school's dormitory. She was holding a list in her hand and she had the students grouped into their respective pairs. She looked into her list then eyed her students.

"Before you receive your respective babies, I will assign each of you your rooms for the week. You have to pick out your careers," she motioned to a small box she was carrying in her other hand, "from this box."

Kiba raised a hand. "But why do we have to pick careers? I thought the only thing we have to do is to take care of an electronic kid!"

"Because Mr. Inuzuka, your careers are going to play a major role in raising your baby," Kurenai regarded him sternly. "Aside from taking care of the infant simulator, you and your wife are going to write a five-page report regarding your experiences with the baby and your plans of raising it through the use of your careers."

She tapped the box with her hand. "Think of it as having a real job and taking care of a real family. As Jiraiya-sama had said earlier, we're living in a real world. The numbers of early pregnancies increased rapidly and as a matter of fact," she regarded her students with a serious look, "Teenage parents chose not to go to school but instead had to look for jobs."

As the teacher continued to drive the students crazy with her drone-like voice, Sasuke muttered curses under his breath. He was getting agitated. The thought that he and Neji's girlfriend had to live under one roof meant one thing.

He wasn't safe from the cooties!

Next to him, Sakura fidgeted. This was her first night out and her first time to be alone with a boy. And that would last for seven days. Despite the anxiety she was feeling right now, she was thankful enough that he wasn't Neji. She didn't want to deal with the yelling and the slapping and certainly not the cursing either.

Smiling slightly, she tried to strike up a conversation with her 'husband'. "I'm…scared of the entire thing. Are you?" she asked.

When he didn't answer, she briefly touched his shoulder. "Are you all right?" she asked again.

He blinked then smiled weakly. "Y-Yeah. I'm all right. It's just the nerves."

'It certainly doesn't looked like it's the nerves to me,' her inner self ranted. Sakura smiled back as they watched their classmates began picking out their careers from the box and their rooms assigned. _'This entire week would be a blast!'_ she thought as she curled her palms into a fist.

…………

After putting his bags into a corner, Sasuke took a deep breath. Sakura had gone out to get their baby from Kurenai. While waiting for her to return, he sank back on the lounge chair then surveyed his entire surrounding.

All in all, their room wasn't so bad. It was a suite, with a bathroom, kitchen, living room and two bedrooms. However, they were going to share one bedroom since the other would be used as a nursery. It was like they were playing house with pretend roles and pretend family.

"Just play along for a week. Just for a week," he reminded himself. He removed his glasses then rubbed the bridge of his nose. While waiting again for Sakura to return, his thoughts drifted to one important matter.

How would he be able to hide his true self?

As if on cue, the door suddenly opened. He immediately sat up to see Tenten and Naruto enter the room. "Dobe! What in the hell are you doing in my room? And you even brought T along!" he exclaimed.

Naruto smirked. "T and I are partners! And well, we just wanted to drop by and see our new neighbor! Also," his smirk widened, "we're kinda worried about you!"

"Neighbor? Worried? Feh," he sank back to the sofa. "I think you're just here to see my new wife so that you can terrorize her."

Tenten blushed upon hearing that statement. Naruto on the other hand laughed weakly. "Oh ho, not really. I know Neji's pet won't cause you much trouble! And especially since," he wagged a finger in front of Sasuke's face. "You have to keep your geeky appearance intact as usual."

"How can I forget that very important fact, dobe?" he retorted dryly.

Tenten snapped her fingers. "I know! We can switch partners! You can have the pink hussy for a wife, foxface!"

"No way! You're a sneaky bitch, T! You just want to hog Sasuke-chan all to yourself, but I'm not going to let you," the blond snapped then wrapped his arms around Sasuke for emphasis. He stuck his tongue out at her. "Beat that!"

"Why you little…"

"Ehehehe…"

"Oi, stop that. The last thing I want to do right now is to listen to you two goading each other to death," Sasuke sighed as he placed an arm above his forehead. Remembering something important, he turned to his friends. "Yo, I think it's better if you guys leave. Haruno may be here any minute now and I don't want her to engage in another bitch fight with you, T."

Tenten's blush increased ten-fold. _Was Sasuke thinking about her like some other boy and not a girl?_ "I'm a girl in case you didn't notice, Sasuke! Don't even think I'm a cruel bitch and about to gnarl an innocent girl's ass. She's not even innocent to begin with, you know."

Sasuke only smirked at her.

Naruto stretched his arms. "Okay, since it's late…I'm afraid we also have to get our baby from Kurenai-sensei too, T."

Tenten nodded and they headed out the door. "Guess we'll just see ya tomorrow, Sasuke."

He only raised a hand. Even after he heard the door closed he didn't move from his spot. He was too caught up with his thoughts.

* * *

11:00 PM

Sakura gulped as she clutched the doll close to her chest. She was too afraid of going to the room that she would be sharing with her new 'husband'. Glancing down at the object in her hands, she smiled. Kurenai-sensei gave her a male infant simulator and for her, it was the cutest electronic thingy in the entire world.

"I wonder what name we're going to give you," she cooed to the doll. After reaching the door, she opened it slightly seeing that it was entirely dark inside. Sighing in relief, she quietly tiptoed inside.

"You're late." A light flickered open.

"Eep." She looked behind her back to see her husband sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed. She bit back a smile. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"

Sasuke stood up then adjusted his glasses. "Nope. I was waiting for you."

_Waiting?_

"W-Why?" she blurted out.

Instead of answering, he stood up. "Dinner's waiting."

_Dinner? _

Sakura followed him to the kitchen and the sight she saw took her breath away. She slowly made her way to the table then pointed at the food. "You made all of these? They look so delicious!"

"Nah. Just something I whipped up from the fridge," he said, opening the refrigerator for her to see. "They fully stocked it with food. "

She sat down, admiring the products of his culinary expertise.

He also sat down. "Shall we eat?"

"Uhm…yes!"

"Okay…" Then something caught his eye. "Uh…how could you eat if you're holding that doll?"

Okay, she acted like a protective mother. Instead of getting embarrassed, she gave him a goofy smile. She cuddled the doll as if it was the real thing. "This is not a doll. It's our child and he's your son."

_He? Son?_

"Oh. Uh…right," he mumbled in reply. "Let's just eat."

While they were eating, Sakura decided to strike up a conversation. "Um…" she began, sipping her soup. "Since we're going to do this project for a week, don't you think this would be the right time for us to know each other better?"

He stopped eating. "What do you mean?"

"Well…let's start by introducing ourselves." She put down her spoon then stretched out her hand at him. "I'm Sakura, nice to meet you."

Sasuke hesitated in taking her hand. But since he had to make his façade as perfect as possible… He briefly touched her hand then muttered, "You can call me Suke."

She brightened up instantly. "Suke-san? That's a cool name!"

Cool? He didn't quite grasp that idea. "Nah. I think I know what you mean. The name's too cool for a nerd like me, am I right?"

She looked at him, confusion shining in her green orbs. "No. Why would you think about that?"

Now he was the one making a fool of himself. "Sorry. That just came out of my mouth."

"No. That's okay. Don't worry about it."

…………

After washing the dishes, Sasuke placed it on the rack to dry. Sakura had gone off, saying that she would be in the nursery with the baby.

He ran his hand through his hair. "This was a rough night. What could that girl be thinking?"

He decided to leave the kitchen and get some rest when he heard a noise. 'Hn, now what?' he thought as he headed to the source.

He stopped in front of the door right next to the bedroom. 'The noise is coming from behind this door.' He twisted the knob then opened the door, shock marking his features.

"What are you doing?" he snapped.

Inside, Sakura was pounding a mangled piece of furniture with a leaf-engraved paperweight. At the corner of the room, the baby lay sobbing his electronic chip out. He heard her mumble a soft "Eep!" then ran towards the source of the noise.

Hearing Sasuke's voice, Sakura fumbled with the baby for a few minutes until his incessant crying stopped. She hugged the baby to her chest as she answered. "I was trying to assemble that crib". She pointed at the dismantled wooden structure. He rolled his eyes.

Afraid to look at him in the eye, she frowned. "When suddenly 'he' started crying," she added, gesturing to the wailing infant.

Sasuke crossed his arms. "So you decided to pound the furniture with a paperweight in order to make the job easier?"

"I…I'm sorry. I'm not that good when it comes to woodworking," she admitted sheepishly.

"You could've asked for my help."

"I-I didn't want to bother you with the dishes."

He sighed. "That's not the point. We're supposed to work together here. The next time you're going to do something extreme, call me. The first thing I never wanted to hear in my whole life is a baby crying."

Sakura nodded. With that said, Sasuke moved to the unfinished crib to continue what she started. When the baby began to make cooing sounds indicating that he was pleased with the cuddling, she went outside.

At the living room, she placed the baby on the sofa with pillows propped on either side of him. "Safety first," she said to herself as she went back to the nursery. Once inside, she began to ponder why boys do all the hard work without even breaking a sweat.

While observing, she noticed that he didn't use a paperweight to secure the legs of the crib together. He just twisted them together and presto! The crib was done. Sakura then decided to do something special for her 'husband' for doing a good deed.

…………

Sasuke almost shed a tear.

"My first carpentry. And it's so beautiful," he said to himself. The crib was finally finished and he was extremely proud. In fact, he was not that adept at such projects and this was the first time he put his heart out into making one.

Sakura entered the room and saw the crib. "Wow! It's so great," she remarked. She stood next to Sasuke then ran her hand at the smooth wooden railings. Turning to him, she smiled. "You're good at this, Suke-san."

He tensed up as if electric shock coursed from her body through his. Taking a step back, he shied away from her. "Uh yeah…thanks."

The pink-haired girl didn't notice his sudden aversion. Instead, she walked to where a tray laden with tea and biscuits lay. She poured tea on two cups then handed one to Sasuke. "Here. Have some."

He accepted the tea, carefully avoiding their fingers to touch. "T-Thank you."

They sipped their tea quietly. After a few minutes of quiescence, Sakura spoke.

"Uhm…" she began, catching the boy's attention.

"What is it?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

She fiddled with her empty cup, her head bowed. "I…I wanted to thank you for helping me. B-Back then, at the rooftop…I really didn't know what to do."

Oh. He really didn't do much at that time. He only listened to her bawling out her feelings about Neji.

'_But still…it sure felt good when you at least helped someone out,'_ he thought. He gulped his drink before replying, "Don't mention it. It's not like I did a big thing for you. So don't push it."

"Y-Yes. I understand," she nodded as she also finished her tea and is pouring herself another cup. She lifted it to her lips, savoring the bitterness of the tea. "You know, even if you act like you hate me…" she spoke then added, "Deep down, I know you're a kind person, Suke-san."

Him? Kind?

Was she making him laugh?

He decided to drop down the subject. "Aa…right. By the way, it's already late. Why don't you put that toy right here in the crib and then get some sleep? We have a lot to do in the morning."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Oh, I almost forgot! You're right, we have to tuck the baby in for the night!" She dashed out of the room, returning back a few minutes later with the infant simulator on her arms. Sasuke tried to hold back a laugh when he saw how she fussed over the baby.

"There, there little fella! It's time for beddy bye," she cooed. She placed him inside the crib and propped pillows on either side of him. "Nightie night!" she leaned over then kissed its cheek. The infant simulator made a giggling sound. Sasuke only glared at the little critter with lack of interest then Sakura ushered him out of the room.

"Well then, now it's time for us to sleep," she told him. Sasuke couldn't agree more.

But now he wish he hadn't.

…………

Staring at the bed before him, he couldn't think of anything else but to bolt out of the room.

Sakura stood next to him.

"Uhm…I don't understand. Why is there only one bed?" she asked.

He couldn't think of any other answer.

"One bed. Sharing. You. Me." He answered in between clenched teeth. What the hell was that perverted principal thinking? A boy and girl sharing a room? Wasn't that supposed to be a bad idea?

Instead of being alarmed, she smiled at him. "Neh, so we're going to be roommates Suke-san?"

_How can she be so stupid at a time like this?_ "I g-guess so…"

She clapped her hands. "Then it's settled! It's my first time to have a sleepover and I'm so happy that we're going to sleep together!"

The boy next to her didn't even move. He was petrified.

Sakura didn't even notice his discomfort. She went to pick up her bag sitting next to the sofa. Sasuke still stood dumbfounded as she hauled the bag inside the room. When he heard the door closed, Sasuke did the only one thing he knew he was capable of.

He screamed.

'_There's no way I'm going to sleep on that bed with her!'_

* * *

**A/N:** Well…that's the end of our chapter! Apparently our hero is facing the biggest crisis of his life. How to hide his identity while doing a school project? Sounds easy? Nope! And by the way, I'm proud to introduce our Beta Reader's Note! Here, my beloved beta reader will voice out her opinions about making the story and ripping my head off when we're reaching the deadline. It's the least I can do since she's been with me from the 2nd chapter. **No evil thoughts there people!** Well, here she is!

**B/N:** What the hell! I can't believe I'm doing this already! Actually, I'm not yet planning to proofread this chapter but oh well, since you beloved readers gave me inspiration, I'm going to do my best! Don't forget to support our story or the author gets it!

**A/N:** Ehem…well that's it for our beta reader. The next chapter will be in a few weeks again so please be patient. And as a treat for our readers, here's an excerpt from our next chapter:

…………

'_Darn it, he's walking away! I should tell him now…or else, I would never ever have another chance again!'_ she scolded herself. Her palms became sweaty. She instantly closed them into tight fists. His back was further retreating so she took a deep breath and called him back.

"Wait!"

To her surprise and bad luck, he stopped. He turned around to look at her, his onyx eyes filled with inquiry…and unmistakable tenderness. Needless to say, his expression took her breath away. "What is it?" he asked.

"I…"

'_Damn! Why can't I say it? Why can't I say what's in my heart? He's here right in front of me with no one around to watch us! Why can't I just spit it all out in front of him? Why can't I tell him that I…'_

"I…"

"I…." She opened her eyes.

"I like you."

…………

A/N: Well…there you have it! Sorry to leave you again with another cliffy guys, but that's what my beta reader does (all the time). If she doesn't do it, she wouldn't have a job! Anyways, it's now time for the question and answer portion!

**Who said these words, "I like you." from the next chapter?**

a. Sakura

b. Naruto

c. Tenten

d. Temari

e. Others (please specify):

**A/N:** Well, if you guys get a really good guess, then you win a cool imaginary Sasuke plushie! With the glasses on! See yah on the next chapter! Ja ne!

**B/N:** Waaah! Give me one, give me one! I should have a reward, ya know? Please read and review.


	19. Confessions under a starry sky

**Disclaimer:** Naruto. Not Mine. Bummer.

**A/N:** Hey, minna-san! Here's our next chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 19: Confessions under a Starry Sky**

* * *

"Naruto."

"What?"

"Can you scoot over?"

"No."

"Scoot."

"No!"

Tenten flung the blanket aside, arms crossed. She seethed. "Naruto-**darling**…if you really want our 'relationship' to work, will you _please_ give me a share of **OUR** blanket?"

Naruto looked over at his shoulder. "No way! It's cold outside, T! If you want to warm yourself up then sneak inside Sasuke-chan's room and ask him to hug you!"

Her cheeks went aflame and she smacked the blond hard on the head. "Don't even try to involve Sasuke! He's with the pink hussy right now. He even warned me to stay away from her." She leaned against the headboard and glared at the ceiling.

Naruto sat up and did the same. "So what? Ah-hah! I know! You're jealous!"

"I'm not!" she instantly snapped then paused. _'No, that wasn't right. It doesn't seem right. But… Naruto's words…'_

She bit her lower lip. _'Am I really jealous?'_

Naruto sighed, ignoring her sudden reflection. "Oh I see. If you really want the blanket then I'll give it to you! You can even have the bed if you want," the blond immediately sat up then stretched his arms. Tenten glanced confusingly at her supposed 'husband'.

"And where do ya think you're going, foxface?" she inquired, suspiciously.

The young man batted his eyelashes flirtatiously then clasped his hands together in front of his chest. "Why, of course! If you don't want to sneak into Sasuke-chan's room because you don't want to mess with Haruno-chan, then I will do it for you! I've always dreamed of sleeping with Sasuke-chan anyway!" he placed his palms on either side of his cheeks then squealed. "Ooohhh…I can't wait! Ta-ta!"

Naruto floated practically to the door when he felt a hand pull him by his collar. He was thrown to the ground, hitting the center of the bed with a loud THUNK! Groaning from the attack, he rubbed his aching head. He felt a sinister aura coming from in front of him. The blond let out a shaky smile. "Oh, T! How could you? I can't believe you'll resort to battering your own husband!"

His 'wife' cracked her knuckles loud enough for him to feel threatened, which actually worked. "There will be more of that if you keep on acting like Sasuke's your possession or something!"

He pretended to wipe an imaginary tear from his eye. "You're so mean! It's no wonder why Sasuke-chan doesn't notice you! He could probably be thinking that you're one of the boys just like him and a **macho chick** to boot!"

Stress veins popped in Tenten's temple. She grabbed him again by the collar and socked him on the jaw. "You idiot! I'm going to make you pay for calling me a macho chick! I'm not macho, you nitwit! I'm only lean!"

"Whatever! Ow! T! You're hurting me! Stop!"

"I'm not going to stop! I'll kill you!"

POW!

SPLAT!

KER-PLUNK!

Tenten huffed in a breath as she dropped Naruto on the bed. The poor boy sported several bruises on the face and arms and there was another black eye forming, covering the previous one she made before. A smug smile began to make its way across her face as she kicked her 'husband' to his own side of the bed.

She lied on her side then pulled the blanket close to her body. 'At least the blanket is mine,' she thought inwardly. Her eyelids began to droop slowly and she was beginning to succumb to La-la land when…

"WWWWAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The teen groggily dragged her body to a sitting position. 'Damn it. Of all the worst things to happen…' she cursed. She then nudged her husband awake. "Oi, Naruto! Stop dreaming about you getting hooked up with Sasuke! Get off the darn bed and calm the baby!" When he didn't answer, she poked and prodded but there was still no response.

She smacked her head, realizing her stupidity. "Shucks! I almost forgot that I beat him into a pulp. LITERALLY."

So with tired eyes and weak legs, Tenten pushed herself out of the bed then went to the nursery. "So much for having a good night sleep…" she muttered.

…………

12:00 MN

Sasuke glared at the mirror. The steam from the shower began to spread freely throughout the entire bathroom. Wiping off moisture from the shiny pane, he couldn't help but stare angrily at his reflection.

"There is no way I'm going to sleep in that same bed with her!" he hissed. Earlier, after screaming out his frustration, he rushed to the bathroom for a long soak then pondered on his next action. He cursed when he glanced again at his reflection.

This would be one major problem. Sleeping with Neji's girl would risk his identity being revealed. He couldn't afford that to happen, now that she had made some connection to his brother. And knowing Itachi…

He shuddered. Now was not the time to think about that.

Closing his eyes, he began to formulate a plan.

…………

Donned with her pastel green pajama pants and top, Sakura fluffed her pillow and placed it on the bed. Sitting down, she yawned. "I wonder what happened to Suke-san…"

She looked at the wall clock. 12:45 AM.

Her head snapped to attention when she heard the bathroom door open. She listened quietly to the sound of light yet dragging footsteps approaching the room. When the door finally opened, she welcomed the newcomer with a smile.

And wore a shocked look on her face.

"Anou…" she swallowed, unable to form a coherent statement. She cocked her head to one side then finally asked, "W-What are you wearing…?"

The boy blinked at her question. He looked over his sleepwear with apathy. "Oh this? It's a nightshirt," he explained, gesturing to his long plaid shirt. He also had matching pants and cap on his head. "This is…uhm, some sort of pajamas. Just like yours."

"Oh I see," Sakura nodded. At first she was startled at the garishness of her _husband's_ sleepwear. She then kept in mind that there were still lots of things that she would have to learn about her newfound friend.

Smiling slightly, she climbed into bed. Patting the space next to her, she coaxed the boy. "Why don't you come here and get some rest?"

Sasuke stiffened. He marched rigidly to where his side of the bed was then grabbed his pillow. Sakura stared at him, surprise evident in her green orbs when she saw him retreating further to the door.

"Where are you going Suke-san?"

He didn't spare a glance. "I'll just sleep on the sofa outside."

She stood up. "No! You can't sleep there."

"Huh? Why?" he mumbled.

"It's too uncomfortable! And besides," Sakura walked towards him and added, "We're partners remember? And I don't want you to feel self-conscious around me."

'_That's exactly what I'm feeling right now…' _Sasuke thought glumly. He turned to face her through his thick-rimmed glasses. Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile. "It's all right, Haruno-san. For starters, a girl and a boy who are strangers to each other should not share the same bed. It's…kind of awkward. And sometimes, sharing a bed would eventually lead to…"

"Lead to what?"

"Uh…you know uh…" he gritted his teeth. "…actually making the uhm…baby for real, if you understand what I mean."

The pink-haired girl placed a finger under her chin thoughtfully. Naiveté was clearly shown on her features. "Really? I thought…"

"There's nothing to think about." He opened the door then bowed his head in apology. "Oyasumi nasai, Sakura-san."

There was a slight tint of disappointment in the girl's eyes. It was later covered easily with a grin. "Okay. Oyasumi nasai, Suke-san. I'll see you in the morning."

He closed the door.

* * *

1:00 AM

Tenten sighed as she watched the stars sparkling in the night sky. She tucked a hand under her chin then leaned on the balcony. She decided to go out of the suite for some fresh air since sleep hadn't claimed her. On the other hand, her darling husband slept like there was no tomorrow and ended up hogging the damn blanket. The nerve!

"That stupid…whatever. Why did he have to state the obvious?" she said to herself as the wind whipped at her face. Yes, earlier when the teacher announced that Sakura would be Sasuke's partner, she was ready to stand up and interfere when that pesky blond stopped her.

Of course Naruto got a black eye for hindering her from hurting the pink-haired hussy and she was satisfied with that. Until in the latter part…when Sasuke told her, no, it seemed like he ordered her to stay away from Sakura! What the hell was that Uchiha thinking! By saying those words, he forbade her from protecting his sorry hide!

Dense Sasuke!

Dumb Sasuke!

Stupid Sasuke…

"Bastard… Sasuke…" she muttered angrily. She imagined hitting the handsome Uchiha's smirking face with her fist. Well, not really hard to leave a bruise but at least to hurt him enough to realize that he was stepping into a trap. A trap made by a bitch by the name of Haruno Sakura.

If Neji's planning on ruining Sasuke by using his pet to do his dirty deeds then she and Naruto must be on guard in order to protect their stoic friend. Sasuke might have the capability of killing Hyuuga right then and there but when it came to dealing with weak simpering girls…

"It still doesn't matter. He's dumb! DUMB!" she screamed to the heavens.

"Who're you calling dumb?"

"It's SASUKE of course! He's…" she immediately faltered when she saw none other than the Uchiha himself.

Tenten swallowed inwardly. _'Quick! Try to come up with something to say!'_ her mind screamed. She tried to greet him casually with a wave of her hand. "Uh…hi, Sasuke. Fancy meeting you here at this time of the night."

The lad only raised his eyebrow.

Tenten fidgeted, unsure of what to say. When neither one of them took the initiative to talk, Sasuke leaned against the balcony instead. Staring at the stars, he sighed. "You sure are weird, T. What did I do in order for you to call me dumb?" he asked innocently.

"I…it's uhm…" she stammered. _'Shit! Why on earth did he have to hear all of that crap? And why did he have to appear on such a bad time?'_

She laughed nervously. "Well…it's uh, you know. The time of the month…"

"Time of the month?" Sasuke blinked, confused. "Was that why you're calling me dumb? Because it's your time of the month?"

Redness seeped her cheeks. "No! That's not what I was trying to say! What I meant was…"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! That's a first, T," he snickered, thinking that it was a joke.

Now Tenten wanted to punch him really hard on the face. But on the bright side, she was the only one who can pull out his weird sense of humor. She smirked. 'Hah! Beat that, you bitch!' she mocked inwardly with Sakura's face fresh in her mind. When Sasuke finally stopped laughing, she sighed. "The very day you laughed this hard had finally came. You rarely do this and I thought it wouldn't appear in a million years."

He stared at her. "Really? I didn't know. Maybe it's been that long since I…" he faltered when he remembered something vague. He then closed his eyes. "Never mind. By the way, aren't you supposed to be with Naruto? You should be sleeping by now."

"I could say the same thing to you, Sasuke! And why on earth did you have to wear that…" she couldn't think of anything decent to say to his pajamas. "…that crap you're wearing!"

"It's called a disguise, T. I got this from Itachi's Halloween party last year. I thought this could be handy one day. And," he smirked, "It worked."

Tenten laughed out hard. "You're so completely…never mind. I don't want to repeat the word dumb anymore."

Sasuke smirked. "That's better. Anyway, we should go and take some rest. Tomorrow, Kurenai-sensei is going to assign us to some career work. And besides, your 'husband' might be looking for you."

"No way! If you're going to say stuff like that again, I'll kill you," she snarled. She blushed furiously. Was Sasuke pairing her up with Naruto? Couldn't he see that the one she wanted was not the loudmouth gay lord? Didn't he know that the one she liked was…

Completely oblivious to the very obvious, the raven-haired yawned. "Well…if you don't want to turn in for the night, I will. It'll be bad if Haruno wakes up and finds me gone. If that happens, I'm going to be in very big trouble." He turned his back on her then raised a hand. "See ya in the morning, T."

Tenten bit her lip. _'Damn, he's walking away! I should tell him now…or else, I would never ever have another chance again!'_ she scolded herself. Her palms became sweaty, so she instantly closed them into tight fists. He was almost at his suite so she took a deep breath and called him back.

"Wait!"

To her surprise and bad luck, he stopped. He turned around to look at her, his onyx eyes filled with inquiry…and unmistakable tenderness. Needless to say, his expression took her breath away. "What is it?" he asked.

"I…"

_Damn! Why can't I say it? Why can't I say what's in my heart? He's here right in front of me with no one around to watch us! Why can't I just spit it all out in front of him? Why can't I tell him that I…_

"I…" _It's now or never!_

The boy on the other hand was still waiting. Adding to her discomfort, he smiled. "If there's something that you need to tell me, go ahead."

'I'm trying, ok?' she angrily thought. She forced air into her lungs then calmed herself down. _'This is it. You can do this Tenten! Tell him now! Tell him that…'_

"I…"

"You what?"

"I…." She opened her eyes.

"I like you."

* * *

The Next Day…

10:00 AM

"Man, my back hurts."

Sasuke winced as he stepped out of the shower. He woke up rather fairly early due to an experienced discomfort from his sleeping arrangements. Forcing his rather large frame on a small dingy chaise was no easy task. It was also tough to sleep in only one position and avoid any injury from falls. When he sneaked inside the bedroom to grab a new set of clothes, he **accidentally** checked on his 'wife'.

Still in deep slumber, it was amazing that she only slept at her own side of the bed. She was hugging a pillow close to her chest and her breaths were slow and even. Sasuke wanted to avert his gaze from her sleeping face but he was drawn to two things.

Her softly parted lips and long lashes.

'Oh man. What am I thinking? This girl's the one who caused my cooties…er, allergy to come out. If 'nisan won't believe me then that's no longer my problem,' he thought bitterly as he exited the room.

…………

Few minutes later, he was taking his time under the shower. He didn't care that the water was scalding hot. It proved a lot more of a distraction as to what he was thinking about the events last night. Sasuke sighed as he gathered his thoughts. "What was that all about? I really don't understand what Tenten meant by…" he mused as flashbacks plagued his mind.

…………

"_I like you."_

_He didn't bat an eyelid on what he just heard. He only stared at the female in front of him who was getting ready to bolt from the scene. In fact, Tenten looked like she was hyperventilating. After digesting the words from his brain and finally understanding them, the Uchiha gave a reassuring smirk._

_Tenten on the other hand was seconds near to fainting. "W-What are you smiling about?" she snapped. Was he going to tease her again?_

"_Nah, nothing. It's just that, I'm happy that you like me hanging out with you," he answered._

_Like me hanging out with you?_

_She clenched her fist._

_He didn't get it!_

"_Sasuke, what I meant earlier was that," she cleared her throat. "We've been through a lot together. You, foxface and me. I…there are times that what we feel for each other can develop into something…" she looked at him sheepishly, "more than friends."_

_The raven-haired Uchiha nodded his head as if he understood her completely. "I see…what you're trying to say is that you want the two of us to be more than friends. Is that it?"_

_Tenten nodded eagerly._

"_Well then," Sasuke reached over and grasped her hands. The brown-haired girl almost passed out. _

'_Why does he have to be so warm? He's really making everything so difficult…but,' she blushed. 'Did he really understand what I'm trying to say…I, I didn't know that this would be easy!'_

"_Since you said it, I want to say that I like you too…"_

_And then she fainted._

…………

"But what I don't understand is…" Sasuke asked himself. "Why did she faint? Did I say something wrong?"

He then turned off the shower. Grabbing two towels from the rack, he used one to wrap around his waist and the other to dry his hair.

"First things first. Pick a career job from Kurenai-sensei then do a five-page essay. She's so brutal when it comes to projects like this," Sasuke muttered as he finished drying his hair. He hung the towel on the rack to dry then bent down to retrieve his clothes.

He started dressing when someone knocked on the door. Cursing inwardly, he quickly put his clothes on then grabbed his glasses on top of the sink. Sasuke hastily put them on then flung the door wide to reveal Sakura's half-sleepy face.

The pink-haired girl smiled at him. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Suke-san! I see that you got up early."

"Aa. O-Ohayou…" he answered quietly then sneaked past her. Sakura cocked her head to one side in confusion. Is there something wrong with what she said? She decided to ignore the events earlier and entered the bathroom.

There were lots of things to do especially in the morning.

* * *

11:30 AM

The Uzumaki Household

Naruto sighed as he finished eating his breakfast. Earlier, he woke up abruptly because their electronic baby **Sachi** cried out because Tenten accidentally crushed her while she slept. It seemed that the stupid tomboy forgot to put the baby on her crib last night and because of that…five hours of good sleep was taken away from him.

"That girl…I can't believe she ordered me to tend to Sachi while she sleeps! It's a good thing that I'm a nice guy or else…"

"Or else what?"

"I'll…!" Naruto sweatdropped when he saw Tenten tapping her foot impatiently in front of him with Sachi in her arms. The infant simulator was giving out cooing sounds and the girl sighed as she put it on the high chair next to him.

Tenten sat down then began to eat. Naruto watched her for a few minutes then began to talk. "You look a little glum today, T. Did something happened to you last night?"

When she didn't answer, he continued. "You tossed and turned in your sleep. I'm a little worried; you seemed to be preoccupied about something. If it's not much, can you tell me?"

He was certain that she would lash out at him but surprisingly, she didn't. The pigtailed girl sighed as she poked her egg with a fork. "Since you put it that way…you see…I…" she began. Damn it, why couldn't I form a coherent sentence? Even with foxface? She took a few cleansing breaths then tried again.

"Naruto…I…I told Sasuke that I liked him."

She could've sworn that she saw Naruto's jaw dropped.

The blond lowered his head. Then for a while, he chuckled. His chuckles then turned to full-scale laughs. He held on to his sides, as he laughed harder. Tenten bonked him on the head. "Stop that you freak!"

"Okay, okay. Sheesh." Naruto straightened his face. "So you finally told him eh? Aren't we the gutsy type! I'm so happy for you, T! However," he added, "I'm not going to make it easy for you because I love Sasuke-chan too!"

Veins popped in Tenten's temple. "Nitwit! I'm not really joking! And stop saying that Sasuke's yours or anything! Anyhow," her expression softened. "He's a jerk, Naruto. A real jerk."

"Hm?"

"Because…" she clenched her fists. "He told me…"

…………

"_Since you said it, I want to say that I like you too..."_

_She looked at his eyes. There was sincerity there and she couldn't believe it._

_As of this night, Sasuke and she were officially a couple!_

_It was too good to be true!_

_She was about to say something but he continued…_

"…_Yeah, I like you to be my best friend. It's hard if I'm going to ask Naruto to be one since he's acting weirder than before, but I know you're not going to take no for an answer! T? Uh…T?"_

_Yep. After hearing those words, she fainted._

_How mortifying._

…………

Naruto didn't know if he would laugh or cry.

Unfortunately, Tenten didn't know either.

Silence passed by for a few minutes then finally broke because of the blond's ear-shattering hoots. "WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I don't believe IT! He's really…he's really…" Naruto snickered, clutching his sides. He wasn't to get a good laugh for the last few days and this was too hilarious!

"He's really a stupid jerk! I can't believe it, the guy's too DENSE!" Tenten murdered her breakfast until it was reduced to mush. "But in the end I gave in to be his best friend. He was…he was…ARGH!"

The blond teen raised a hand. "Hold it. Maybe he's not yet ready for a relationship. Considering that he's dateless ever since we've stepped on our first bikes, it's kinda obvious that he's clueless when it comes to women." He smirked as he fed Sachi with a special milk formula for simulators. Sachi gave a satisfied coo.

"But if he's really clueless, then why is he allowing that 'hussy' to get deep into his skin? Doesn't he know that someday that bitch is going to deliver him to Neji on a silver platter?" Tenten snarled. She was too consumed by her hatred. On the other hand, Naruto appeared calm.

Still feeding Sachi, he took a deep breath. "I know that. Even I'm also worried about him. But, despite your attempts to break Sakura-chan, she's a lot tougher than she looks. But I don't think she'll bring harm to Sasuke-chan. And in addition," he pointed a finger at her. "That's what he was trying to say to you last night when he told you to stay away from her. For you to stop worrying about him and leave the case to himself."

Tenten looked glumly at her now unrecognizable food. Sure, foxface had a point but still…she feared that there would come a time that Sasuke would no longer need them. And that was why…that was why she was so…she hated to admit…

A bit selfish.

But being selfish was an act of love right?

Maybe.

* * *

**A/N:** And that's our chapter 19! It was kind of Tenten-centric. I hope I met your expectations (crosses fingers while smirking)! I really worked hard in creating this chapter, so please don't forget to tell me what you think! Forgive me for my short ramblings but I'm terribly suffering from Writer's Block right now and it's killing me! WAAAHHHH! Oh, and my Valentines Day one-shot **Watching You** will have a sequel! Yay! But it will be posted on March 14, which is White Day so I hope you will have time reading it. And to my dear readers, I'm still having problems with the pairings though… Hope you can still keep up with my cruelty. Ja ne!

And now I'm giving the entire ceiling to my sadistic beta-reader:

**B/N:** Hallo! Unfortunately, we don't have an excerpt for now because we are not yet finished with chapter 20. Personally, I had a hard time on deciding how to cut this chapter. And as the author said, we are currently working on the sequel of **Watching You**. Check out the first part coz' I think the concept was really good (of course, love and praise your own!). Please R & R! Ja!


	20. Career Day gone to hell

**Disclaimer:** Naruto not mine. How many times must I have to tell you that?

**A/N: **Hello again to you, minna-san! Here I am, presenting to you another chapter of this story. Anyway, we are finishing this semester by the end of March! Hehe.

* * *

**Chapter 19: Career Day Gone To Hell**

* * *

1:00 PM

Sasuke closed the door behind him. 'Damn it, of all the careers Kurenai-sensei had to pick out, why should it be this one?' Adjusting his thickly framed glasses, he read the paper, which contained the instructions for his five-page essay.

His career for the week would be the Sanitation Maintenance Officer.

To put it in easier terms, he was the cleaning guy.

The janitor.

"Shoot. Am I truly destined to be in the janitorial department? If 'nisan, or probably otousan finds out about this, they're going to laugh their asses off," he muttered in between harsh breaths. And then he glanced at his wife's career…

He stared. Hard.

For Sakura, her assigned career would be…

Chief Executive Officer.

"For shame! She's has the highest position while I'm…I'm…" he clenched his fist which shook violently. "I'm cleaning toilets!"

"Heh! Ain't that a responsible job for a dork! It suits ya!"

Sasuke flinched from his position. In the blink of an eye, five burly men surrounded him. Like flies to a rotten piece of meat. "No way," he said to himself. Why do they have to appear at a time like this?

The leader of the pack stepped forward. Sasuke didn't even blink when the brawny guy grabbed him by the collar. "What do you want now, Chouji?" he asked dryly.

"I'm impressed. So you're fighting now, huh?" Chouji raised him up so that Sasuke's two feet were suspended a few inches off the ground. He pulled him close so that their noses were almost touching. Sasuke forced himself not to gag when he accidentally inhaled the stinking gyoza Chouji had for lunch.

"Looks like poor little nerdy boy's forgetting something important. Do you know what today is?" Chouji hissed, the aroma of his lunch whoozing past Sasuke's nostrils. Instead of being terrified, the raven-haired Uchiha only sighed.

'What day is it again? Oh, drat. It's Tuesday. That means…' 

"Tuesday…B-Bullyday…?" he offered weakly.

Chouji's look was priceless. He laughed. The sounds of his laughter were so loud that it echoed all over the place. His minions followed suit. Sasuke wished that he should've kept his mouth shut. "Damn right you are! You really are smart, that's why everyone calls you a nerd!" he mocked. Still holding Sasuke by the collar, he glanced at his goons. "So what shall we do to our little pet today?" he asked them.

"Dunk his head into the toilet!"

"Use him as a flag for our flagpole!"

"Use his head to wipe the gooey mess off the Science laboratory!"

"Give him a wedgie!"

Sasuke gulped. He was supposed to go back to his wife and explain to her the instructions that Kurenai-sensei gave for their project. Even though he was capable of beating these good-for-nothing pipsqueaks…he couldn't afford to have his cover being blown.

Chouji gave a huge grin as he dangled his prey high up in the air. "I know just the thing to do to you."

"Crap. I'm done for," was the last thing Sasuke thought before he was taken to his place of execution.

* * *

4:00 PM

The Suke Household

BAM! BAM!

The sound of someone banging the door broke Sakura's concentration of playing with her baby. "I wonder who that can be?" she asked herself as she answered the door. She flung it open to reveal her husband, who was somewhat in a disheveled state.

"Oh my, Suke-san!" she exclaimed. The bespectacled young man struggled to get himself up so he could avoid collapsing on the floor. Sakura grabbed hold on to his arm as they staggered towards the living room. When he was finally seated down, she went to the door and closed it.

Sighing, Sakura walked back to the room then sat next to him. "What happened, Suke-san? You looked like you were thrown inside a garbage can or something," she commented. The raven-haired young man huffed as he ran his hands through his filth-soaked hair.

"I went to Kurenai-sensei's office to pick out a career for the two of us. As soon as I got out, Chouji and his gang were already waiting outside. And well…to make the story short, I got bullied and then like you said, thrown inside the dumpster," he explained. Sakura stood up, anger flashing in her emerald orbs.

"That's so cruel! Why would they do that to you? Didn't they know that they're violating human rights? I'm going to have a talk with them!" she exclaimed. Sasuke blinked as if she suddenly developed two heads.

"Eh? You can't do that! You're only a girl; they're going to bully you too. And besides," he slumped, his back hitting the seat with a loud thump. "Hyuuga-san will get devastated if he finds out that his girlfriend is being attacked by a bunch of hoodlums."

Sakura didn't say a word. As if on cue, the baby wailed. Sasuke stood up from his seat then turned to her. "Go ahead and calm the baby. I'll just get myself cleaned up." Before she could open her mouth to speak, he already left the room.

The pink-haired girl picked up the infant simulator from its crib then cuddled it. "There, there little one. Mommy's here so don't cry." After rubbing the baby's back gingerly, it elicited a happy response. Satisfied, strode towards the nursery and put the baby inside the crib. Propping pillows on each side of the baby, she heard a ZZZZZZ, indicating that it was finally asleep.

She tiptoed quietly outside the room then closed the door.

…………

Two Hours Later…

Sasuke stood in front of the sink. Washing the fishes for dinner was quite a chore. Scaling them and removing the innards were the worst. But that didn't matter. His brother taught him anyway. He learned to be domesticated when he left their home and afterwards, taught his little brother how to be independent.

"Heh. 'Nisan, if he wasn't born male, he might've been a perfect mother instead," he mused as he finished washing them.

(At the Uchiha residence, Itachi sneezed. "Achoo!")

After preparing the ingredients for cooking, he started chopping the vegetables. He heard a chuckling sound and took a quick look behind his back. He found Sakura staring at him. She was smiling while clutching the baby and Sasuke unexpectedly had a feeling that she was going to do something bad.

"Suke-san, you're so amazing! Let me help you," she hastily put the baby into his arms then grabbed the knife he was using. Sasuke held the baby in a pincer grasp, as if the little critter was going to lash out at him at any moment. Instead, the baby gave a tiny giggle. 'Well…at least he's happy,' he mused.

"Itai!"

He looked at Sakura who accidentally nicked her finger. He put the baby into the high chair then went to his wife. "Let me see." He snatched her hand and stared at the injured finger. He examined the wound, only to find that it was nothing more than a little red slit. "It's nothing serious. We'll just clean it and put bandage over it and it's done. Wait here."

He left the kitchen to get the hydrogen peroxide, betadine and bandage. He picked up Sakura's hand and carefully cleansed the wound then wrapped a bandage around her finger. "There. All done," he said. The girl examined the bandaging, a grin making its way across her face.

"Arigatou, Suke-san."

"Whatever. Now let's go and finish cooking dinner. I'm already starving."

"Okay!"

…………

Dinnertime…

Sakura took a bite of the steamed fish that she and Sasuke made together. "Mm. Nummy." She took a sip of the miso soup. Yum. Delicious. It was a good thing that he asked her to be his assistant in the kitchen so that she'll be able to learn more about cooking.

And he proved to be quite more of a chef.

As they worked, she succeeded in making him talk and even got to learn more about him. He was raised by a member of his immediate family and was taught on how to live independently. Afterwards, he applied for a scholarship in Konohagakure and remained there since.

On the other hand, Sasuke also learned something about her as well. She was currently renting an apartment with her stepmother not far from where he lived. At school, she earned a very high reputation for being Hyuuga Neji's girlfriend, thus making her the popular girl in school. How they ended up together, no one knows except Neji and her.

"And then we broke up. Or should I say, cooled-off," Sakura concluded, sighing. As a distraction, she looked at her husband who was also eating with the baby perched next to him. He was exceptionally silent but when at times she needed his help, he was there. It was kind of strange but he somewhat reminded her of…

"Sakura-san."

"Hm?"

"You have drool coming out of you mouth."

"W-What?" she blurted out. She hurriedly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Then she heard a chuckle. She turned to see her husband hiding his grin for some reason. It was then that she realized that he was making fun of her.

"Oh…"

"Gomene, Sakura-san. I didn't plan on making fun of you." Sasuke then began to feed the baby with a specialized milk formula. It was also strange that the baby had some kind of a close attachment to Suke. Sakura finished her food then smiled. For a great cook, he sure could be an excellent mother someday.

…………

9:00 PM

After dinner and washing the dishes, the two spent their time together at the living room as a family. Sasuke pored over the book he brought from home while Sakura played with the baby. The infant simulator let out a fit of giggles as his mother nuzzled his nose.

"You're so cute! I can't believe that this cutie is actually an electronic simulator," she commented as she ruffled the baby's hair.

Sasuke only muttered an "Aa," to indicate that he was listening. The pink-haired girl sighed as she rubbed the simulator's back absentmindedly. There was still a lot more to learn about her newfound friend and she knew that a week would not be able to cover it up. She gave a small smile. "Looks like I have no choice but to start the conversation myself."

With the baby in her arms, she sat on the couch opposite her husband. She rocked the baby to distract herself then casually asked, "Um…so, Suke-san, how's it going?"

"How's it going what?" he returned the question nonchalantly. He didn't even look away from his book.

Sakura focused her attention in inspecting their baby's fingernails. "Um…I…you know, like how's your day or something…you see," she finally had the nerve to look at him. He was still busy reading his book that it was beginning to annoy her. "Suke-san!" When he still wasn't listening, she laid the baby on the space next to her. Without word, she grabbed the book from him.

"My book! Give it back!" he tried to pry the book from her hands but she hid it behind her back. Sasuke leaned towards her, stretching his hands to reach the book. "Please, give my book back!" he pleaded.

"Nuh-ah! Bleh!" She stuck her tongue at him. The boy tried to reach out but to no avail. When he leaned even further, he lost his balance. Afterwards, he unceremoniously fell, bringing the girl with him. Both hit the sofa with a soft thump. It was a good thing the baby didn't wake up or they'd never hear the end of his crying sprees.

"Ow…" Sakura rubbed the back of her head. She hit the sofa headfirst and that had hurt! She heard a groaning sound and looked up to find her husband lying on top of her!

"Eek!" she shrieked and immediately flung an arm out, hitting Sasuke on the face.

"Itai!! You didn't have the hit me that hard! I think you broke my nose," he snarled, clutching his nose. His glasses were about to fall so he fixed it with his free hand. Sakura bit her lower lip playfully. "I'm so sorry Suke-san. I didn't mean to punch you on the nose…"

He sat up, still rubbing his nose. "It's okay…" he answered simply.

She retrieved his book from behind her back then gave it to him as a peace offering. Sasuke grabbed the book, muttering a quiet "Thanks". With that settled, the two slouched on the sofa quietly since they had nothing else to do. Only the sounds of the simulator's ZZZZZZs can be heard from the living room. Sakura tucked her knees under her chin and sighed.

The raven-haired boy coughed, disrupting the tranquility. "So…uh, how about you? How's your day?"

She looked at him, a fleeting smile on her lips. It was the first time he brought the conversation up first. Staring down at her toes, she answered. "I'm all right. Taking care of the baby was quite a chore. For an electronic toy, he sure knows how to drive you wild. It's as if it were really alive, you know."

"I see." Sasuke stared at the unmoving toy next to her. In his opinion, the project was nothing more but a complete waste of time. He never really cared if the numbers of early pregnancies in Konoha were high. He never really planned to have a family in the nearby future either. He released a sharp intake of breath. Families were nothing more but hindrances. He even thought of his own parents as obstacles.

It was kind of strange that he didn't treat his brother the same way as his parents. Maybe it's because he saved him from the darkness when his father imprisoned him in the early years of his life. His eyes slowly turned to black pools of nothingness by the thought of his father.

"Suke-san?"

His thoughts dissipated upon hearing someone calling him. He cocked his head to one side. His wife wanted his attention. "What is it?" he asked wryly. If she was planning on making fun of him again, he'd definitely introduce her to his dark side. No one ever survived after seeing a glimpse of his dark side.

Well…maybe, except Naruto and Tenten.

Oh yeah, and his brother Itachi.

Sakura tucked a few stray tresses of hair behind her ear. "I…I've been planning on asking you this before…but I'm afraid that you'll get mad at me."

He raised a brow. "About what, Sakura-san?"

"About…" she twiddled her thumbs distractingly. Taking a deep breath, she stared at him. "Why are you being bullied by Chouji-kun and his gang?"

When he didn't answer, she continued. "I can't help but ask why they would always pick on you. It's too much and…I don't want to see any people getting harmed for things that they're not aware of."

Sasuke eyed her idly. "Sakura-san, you really don't understand the reality of things don't you? In this school, there are only two kinds of people: the strong ones and the weak ones. The strong bully the weak. The weak cower from the strong. Simple as that."

Running a hand through his hair, he stared at the ceiling. _'Hm…if I remember correctly, the reason why those bullies are after me is because I accidentally sat on Chouji's jersey and squashed his potato chips…'_ he recalled.

"Really? You have a point," she nodded. "But," she reached out to touch his arm. "You're fed up, right? You don't want to be treated like vermin by those brutes. I mean, everyone, even you has a limit in their own patience right?"

"Uh yeah…but…"

"Great!" To his horror, the girl clasped his hands together then flailed it up and down. "Don't worry about a thing, Suke-san! I'll help you stop those bullies from hurting you!" She even winked. "Let me handle the rest!"

Now Sasuke knew the girl was completely nuts. "Why are you doing this? You don't know what those guys are capable of. They might hurt you, and they wouldn't even care less that you're a girl!"

She didn't seem to be unfazed by his pleas. "Suke-san…to tell you the truth, those guys…" The clock suddenly struck midnight. Sakura gently carried the baby who was making snoring sounds then bowed quickly. "Uhm…I'll see you tomorrow. Good night!"

Before Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, she already fled the room. Alone, he slumped back against the sofa. "Man, what was that all about? What in the hell was she thinking, planning to stop those guys?" He removed his glasses then massaged the bridge of his nose with his free hand. Now he was getting suspicious of Sakura's behavior.

_Is she connected to Chouji and his group of thugs?_

* * *

**A/N: **So how's the chapter? I humbly apologize to our dear readers for the lack of humor in this chapter. Apparently my beta-reader and I are still suffering from our stupid requirements and if we don't finish on time, we're doomed! So, anyways, ehem…here's my beta-reader who is too eager to continue tormenting yours truly.

**B/N: **Hey, I have no connection whatsoever on how this chapter ended. It was totally his idea! And yeah, we are currently suffering the effects of "cramming" for our requirements. We only have less than a week to finish it. Darn, those stupid teachers! I hope you like this chapter. Please R and R! Thanks. Here's an excerpt from our next chapter:

………

"Neh, Suke-san. Our baby doesn't have a name. Won't it best if we think of a name together?"

Sasuke sighed. He wasn't interested in taking care of babies, let alone think of a stupid name. But…since this was a project and he was "officially" the father of the 'baby'…there was nothing else he could do.

………


	21. Egad! The baby talked!

Disclaimer: Naruto not mine. Sniff.

**A/N:** Hello again minna-san! It's now time for our next chapter but first let me make a few announcements (Which I know you're not going to like): I'm going to be in a two-month hiatus starting this April because I have to go to a cram school. Even my beta-reader is going to do the same thing so I guess we'll be able to post the next chapters late. But school is also important…hoo-boy. Anyway, here's the chapter! Please enjoy!

Another reminder! My beta-reader got sick while doing this so there are some parts of the story that still needed proofreading. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience.

* * *

Chapter 20: Egad! The baby talked!

* * *

Here's a slight recap from our previous chapter!

…………

Alone, Sasuke slumped back against the sofa. "Man, what was that all about? What in the hell was she thinking, planning to stop those guys?" He removed his glasses then massaged the bridge of his nose with his hand. Now he was getting suspicious of Sakura's behavior.

_Is she connected to Chouji and his group of thugs?

* * *

_

3:00 AM

Living Room…

"Guwaahh!" Sasuke immediately sat up from his bunk. It was dark and only the quiet hum of the refrigerator from the kitchen broke the tranquility of the night. Well, if you also add his scream, then it's also counted. With his forehead dripping with sweat, he wiped it with the sleeve of his sweater. His eyes were wide and filled with terror as the memories of his dream haunted him.

…………

He was standing in front of several people.

And to top it all off…

His disguise was completely blown off!

And in front of him was none other than the pink-haired girl with the blasted Hyuuga holding her by the neck. Sakura's green eyes were filled tears as if she was trying, no, begging for him to help her. Naruto and Tenten stood on either side of him, clutching both of his arms as if they're trying to stop him from whatever move he'll make.

Oh, and add Itachi standing at the far corner of his dream burning all of his precious geek collection into ashes.

…………

The raven-haired Uchiha took a deep breath. "That was definitely a nightmare," he concluded. "Or maybe a premonition?" he couldn't help but add.

Suddenly, memories began to flit across his mind. The events with Sakura earlier began to bug him. She was acting strange, and she said that she would stop Chouji and his thugs from beating him up. For him, her outburst was definitely out of the line. It was simply ridiculous. How would a girl manage to beat the crap out of a burly captain of the football team with only those thin arms and squeaky voice?

Sasuke sighed. "Nah…absolutely not. But, looks can be deceiving. She may be nice on the outside but on the inside…" he gritted his teeth. His entire cover will be blown!

Yawning, he decided to ponder that thought the following morning. His first day on the job as the Sanitation Maintenance Officer is about to begin.

* * *

Wednesday

8:00 AM

"Neh, Suke-san. Our baby doesn't even have a name. Wouldn't it best if we thought of the name together?"

Sasuke shrugged as he flipped the pancake. He wasn't interested in taking care of babies, let alone think of a name. But…since this was a project and he was "officially" the father of the 'baby'…there was nothing else he could do. And his wife is **expecting** his answer. "If that's what you want Sakura-san, we'll come up with a name. However, I'm not sure of what names that I should give to the baby."

"That's all right." Picking up the baby, she nuzzled its tiny nose with hers. She then went to Sasuke's side right away to savor the pancake's aroma with her nostrils. "Mommy and Daddy are going to give you a name my liddle widdle baby." The simulator gave a loud giggling noise. Sakura giggled then turned to her husband who was inching away from her.

"Suke-san?"

He was trying his darndest not to freak out. He was still uneasy because of the stupid dream he had last night. "What?" he asked quietly.

Sakura stared at the baby in her arms then to him. "Since we're starting on our first jobs, I'm worried about him. Since I'm going to be the CEO, there will be times that I would be facing piles and piles of paperwork. So…"

Turning off the stove, Sasuke transferred the finished pancake to its plate. He then head towards the table and place it beside the other dishes. "So, what about it?" He removed his apron, putting it next to his chair.

She sat down on her chair then watched him do the same. Placing the baby in the high chair, she sighed. "I was wondering if you could look after the baby for awhile."

He almost dropped the bowl of rice he was about to give to Sakura. "W-What? Me? Going to babysit him?" The pink-haired girl accepted the bowl with thanks then proceeded to eat. After taking in some of the food in her mouth, she swallowed then nodded. "Yes. We'll be working under the same department. But don't worry! I'll be able to see the both of you during lunch."

"Yeah, I know. But," he glared down at his food as if he was trying his best to melt it down. "I'm not used to taking care of babies, let alone electronic simulators. They give me the creeps." _And I hate their whining voices and loud outbursts_, he added as an afterthought. Sakura only gave him a dumbfounded look.

Then she laughed.

'Oh great! Now she's thinking of me as a weak clingy guy who doesn't have the guts to take care of a girl's job,' Sasuke thought wryly. This project was ridiculous from the start and because of their perverted principal; he was facing **four** more days of hell.

"You really don't have to do much, Suke-san. All you have to do is hold the baby, nothing more. I'll just change the baby's nappies before going to work so that he won't cause you trouble. He doesn't require a change, not until after three hours," she explained.

The Uchiha sighed in relief. "Whew. I thought that I'm going to undergo all those stuff. There's no way I am going to change that baby's diapers."

They ate their breakfast then afterwards prepared for work.

* * *

10:00 AM

Mitarashi Anko, the P.E. teacher, clapped her hands together. "Hello again, class! I trust that you all had a wonderful time together with your new families! I will be filling in for your Kurenai-sensei so please be good!"

A loud groan could be heard from the entire class. Even Jiraiya, the principal yawned.

"Well then," Anko reached behind her back and took out a sheaf papers. She then waved it for the entire class to see. "As of this day, you're going to start your assigned careers. Your tasks are listed in these papers and also the instructions for your five-page essay." Loud moans and whines could be heard among the students.

She glared at them lightly. "Aww…stop your yapping! You're all grown-ups so act like one! Now I'm going to call your names so listen and listen good!"

As the students were called one by one, Neji only regarded the whole career thing as a nuisance. He glanced at the other end of the gym to find Sakura pre-occupied with a young man with thick glasses and wearing rather a janitor's uniform. Sandwiched between them was the electronic monster that the teachers were considering as their project. He clenched his fist as he eyed them angrily.

"Neji!"

And he was rewarded with a loud Whap!

On his head.

Rubbing the back of his head, he threw menacing looks at the person responsible for the pain. "Why, you! No one does that to me and lived to tell the tale!" he snarled.

His partner smiled at him coyly. "Why Neji-kun, if you weren't so distracted…I wouldn't have the nerve to hit you! I know you're still sore from your fight with forehead girl, but would you at least set that issue aside for a few days and concentrate on the assignment?"

Rats, he was now annoyed. And the main cause is nonetheless a girl. "Ino, why you…"

Ino retained her smile. "Neji, I'm sure Sakura is also feeling the same way. We've been together since we were kids and I know she's the type that will never let you down." She also stared at the pair then winced. "Not unless she'll do something that you might both regret in the future."

"Like how?" He couldn't help but ask.

She turned her back on him.

"You'll see."

…………

Sakura stared at the list of tasks that she will be doing for today. "Looks like my first job as the CEO is to become the acting president of the student council. And I have to attend their meeting from 10:30 to 11:30! Oh no, I'm not good at meetings and I tend to fall asleep during the session!"

"That's nothing. Compared to mine," muttered Sasuke. Unfazed at the tasks on his paper, he read aloud. "I'll be cleaning the storage area of the school at 12:00 and the hallways at 2:00. Afterwards, sanitize the classrooms next at 4:00 then finally the lavatories at 6:00. Man, they sure know how to work their people hard. It's hard to believe that the janitors follow this schedule subsequently and receiving meager salary. And they don't even stop for breaks."

The girl beside him giggled. "Good luck on your first day, Suke-san."

He fumbled with his glasses. "Right."

* * *

4:00 PM

"Oh man…"

Sasuke eyed the gigantic pile of trash with distaste.

Today he finished cleaning all of the assigned rooms and boy, was it hard. And now, he began to head to the storage room which, is located at the back of the school. Standing in front of the mottled plank of wood called door, he yanked the doorknob and pushed his way in.

Before he knew it, he gaped.

The first thing that came into his mind that very moment was to leave the mess just the way it is but…

He knew he just couldn't.

"I'm nothing but a good citizen. Nothing bad will happen to me," he said to himself aloud. Carrying the bucket filled with water on his left hand and cleaning tools on the other, he stepped further.

And suddenly, he was completely surrounded by darkness.

CLICK!

"What the?" He immediately turned around to find the door, the only link to the outside world…completely shut. Dropping his tools, he dashed to the door and tried to pry it open. "Oh, shit…it won't budge!" he cursed.

_Why do these things happen to me?_

_I'm getting bored doing it every single day…_

_Crap…_

Unsuccessful that he couldn't get the door open, he sighed. "Judging from the extent of my temporary confinement, I'm going to be kept here for three hours max. Or…" he scratched his head. "I'll just yell out to someone for help."

Either way… 

He plopped down next to the bucket. "Worst comes to worst, I'm going to be stuck here for the rest of the evening. Hoo-boy, I hope that **she** will be able to notice that I'm gone…"

"**WAAAHHHH!"**

…………

Or maybe, **we're** gone… 

"Oh shoot," he muttered as he reached behind him. Sakura had hideously tied the baby behind his back so that he will be able to watch over him. At the same time, promote bonding between father and son, she said. He raised an eyebrow at that statement but the pink-haired girl was too busy gushing on how the baby cooed and giggled as if his father's presence somewhat made him happy.

"KYYAAAAHHHH! You both looked so cute!" she said, at that time too.

Right… 

Pissed at the situation he was unexpectedly put in, he held the wailing infant at arm's length. He was somewhat afraid that the simulator might eat him or worse, turn into that hideous serial killer in **Child's Play**. "There, there little fella, don't cry. I'm going to be in very trouble if you keep on crying."

"HUWAAAHHHHHH!"

Sasuke sighed as he began to think of a way to stop it from crying. Now what am I going to do whenever this electronic critter starts to cry itself out?

_Slap it on the back?_

_Nah._

_Shake it vigorously till it stops?_

_Nah._

_Kill it?_

_Nah. And doing that can result in a failing grade too._

"So what the heck am I supposed to do?" he wailed in the empty air. The baby continued crying. Thinking harder, he finally had an idea. "I wonder what that stupid girl does whenever this one is crying…"

…………

_(Flashback!)_

_2:00 AM_

"_There, there little baby. Mommy's here so don't cry."_

_Sakura rubbed the baby gently on the back. The baby somewhat 'pooped' while sleeping, and its wailing sound rang throughout the suite. Sasuke grumbled because of the lack of sleep and pulled the blanket close to his body. The bedroom door opened then Sakura came out. He heard her footsteps heading towards the nursery._

_Curious, he stood up from his bed then peeked through the crack of the door. Sure enough, Sakura was there. She was holding the baby in her arms and it seemed like she was whispering something in its ear. The dirty diaper was folded neatly and placed aside for disposal in the morning. "Looks like she got everything covered up," he mused. "She has a knack for these sorts of things…"_

_Since he was so rudely interrupted in his sleep, Sasuke decided to study the situation more. Watching Sakura so closely bonded with the simulator reminded him of his mother. Uchiha Mikoto was a famous broadway actress. She started acting at a very young age. Talented, beautiful, smart, she was the epitome of a perfect woman._

_Everyone thought that she was going to continue to aim higher in the Broadway industry. But the biggest shock came when news about her sudden marriage to the heir of the well-known Uchiha Industries. The initial shock was quickly replaced with happiness when the whirlwind marriage was blessed with two sons. _

_Well, that's what everyone had thought so far._

_He sighed as he went back to the sofa. "If Okasan hadn't thought so highly of father, then maybe…things wouldn't have turned out this way."_

_(End flashback!)_

…………

A vein in his temple throbbed. "So I didn't observed her that much after all. I was too caught up with my own stupid thoughts."

The baby continued crying. Sasuke pulled the baby close to him. With trembling fingers, he rubbed the baby's back. It didn't take long and the baby started making those goo-goo sounds that his wife likes. He breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought that you'd never stop. For a while, I thought that I was a goner."

The baby kept on goo-gooing and Sasuke smirked. He couldn't help it but pat it on the back. Sakura was right. The baby was too cute. Well, it was kind of strange since it's an electronic toy and all. But…

The door was burst open.

"GYYAAAHHH!" Sasuke screamed as splinters of wood rained on him. He shielded the simulator from the attack and he was suddenly engulfed in bright. Then before he could recover from the shock, he felt like a vise was squeezing him tight.

"SASUKE-CHAN!"

He opened his eyes. "What the? Naruto!"

Naruto glomped him like a predator finally stalked its prey. "I caught you! I caught you! I didn't know you liked to play Hide-and-seek!"

Sasuke pried himself from the bear hug. "Let me go, stupid! If everyone finds out about you calling my name, I'm going to send you straight to hell!"

The blond only laughed then released him.

Once everything was finished and Sasuke cleaned the place, they returned back to the dorms. Naruto watched his bespectacled friend intently, from the way his rigid back was set and his eyebrows meet into a single line at the center.

He couldn't help but ask. "Is there something wrong, Suke-chan? You seemed upset."

Sasuke didn't answer. He just focused on retreating to his humble abode while carrying the baby in his arms. The blond lad blocked his way. "What's wrong, Suke-chan?"

Okay, that does it. He glared at his friend. "I'm just tired. You know, doing all these sorts of projects. I mean, I'm a janitor!"

"Uh-huh. The janitor. You're pretty good at it, I think."

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You know you're not helping, Naruto."

The said teen gave him a huge grin. "I understand that you're pissed and all, Sasuke-chan! But that's how life goes! All you have to do is to go with the flow, like a river."

"That's so cliché, dobe. I wonder if there's still some wisdom left in that tiny brain of yours." When they finally reached his room, Sasuke gave him a small smirk. "Here's my stop. Thanks for rescuing me back there."

Naruto slithered in front of him like a snake and for a second there, had him backed up against the door. Sasuke looked at him with inquiry. "What the heck do you think you're doing, Naruto?"

He raised a hand up and twirled a lock of Sasuke's hair. "Well…I was thinking, since our wives are not here and we're all alone, why don't we…" Naruto trailed off as his other hand went to back of his neck. "…Rock the house?"

Instead of being freaked out, a tiny imitation of a smile crossed the raven-haired Uchiha's face. Naruto was about to lean down when he felt a sudden excruciating pain.

"YOOOOOOWWWWWCCCHHHH!"

Unexpectedly, Sasuke mercilessly stomped on his foot.

Hard.

* * *

7:00 PM

After dinner…

"You're not going to believe on what happened to me today!"

Sasuke took in a few breaths to calm himself as thick and soapy suds fluttered in the air. Some hit him on the arm while the lucky ones landed on his head. He threw an annoyed glance at the girl next to him. She was so focused in her tattletaling that she forgot to notice that the person next to her was already annoyed because she was a bad dishwasher assistant.

"Sakura-san," he muttered in quiet tones. "If you want to continue your story, I suggest you finish soaping those dishes first. I don't want to dawdle around especially since I'm going to be the one to rinse them later."

Sakura blinked. She playfully bit her lower lip. "Oops! Sorry, Suke-san! I was too caught up in telling you my story that I forgot my dishwashing duty!" She turned back to her work. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. But it was only temporary when she began to open her mouth again.

"But you know what, Suke-san! Today was a blast! I was…"

It was better if he should've covered her mouth with tape. Boy, does she love to talk!

Sasuke had no other choice but to listen.

…………

Several minutes later, the two of them sat on opposite ends of the couch. The baby sat between them and making those weird googly sounds again. Sakura brushed her hair while Sasuke read the newspaper. His eyes narrowed when he read an article about his father attempting to buy another company which belonged to the Hyuuga Corporation.

No wonder that bigshot Neji wanted to kill him. His own father was cruelly depleting the others of their wealth.

"Ne, Suke-san."

His thoughts were immediately thrown aside when he heard her speak. He cast a sideways glance at his wife. "What is it?" he asked while putting the newspaper on top of the coffeetable.

Her green eyes were filled with mirth. She picked the infant simulator up then thrust it at him. "We still don't have a name for our cute widdle baby yet!"

"What? Well…I," he faltered. So that's what she wanted? For him to pick a name to that horrible pipsqueak. He raised his hands in total surrender. "Sorry, but I can't help you with that. I'm not…creative when it comes to those things."

The pink-haired girl stuck her tongue out at him. "Mou! You're so mean!" She raised the baby closer enough to his face. "Come on! It'll be fun!"

In order to not being irked by his wife, Sasuke tapped his chin and pondered hard. After a long period of silence, an idea hit him. "I know! Why don't we describe some of the baby's qualities? That way, we can come up with a name based from those qualities we're going to choose."

Sakura's eyes lit up. "That's great! Let's see…" She stared at the baby's features then began. "Since he's so cute, how about we call him Kawaii?"

Sasuke sweatdropped. "That's not a good name. He's a baby boy, Sakura-san. That name should be given to a girl."

"Hm," she tried to think again. Then she clapped her hands together. "How about Ichinosuke?"

His jaw dropped.

"Gomen, gomen." Sakura's eyebrows met at the center. She was thinking so hard that tiny lines are forming at her smooth forehead. Sasuke leaned back on the sofa and was about to close his eyes when she spoke.

"How about Itachi? That'd be so cute!"

Silence hung in the air.

"Itachi? That's an ugly name," he retorted dryly. He flapped a hand pleadingly towards his wife. "Maybe…you should try another name, Sakura-san. If we're going to call him by that name…it'll bring us bad luck. Weasels are known to bring bad luck you know."

Sakura nodded as if she understood. "Is that so? Okay then…" Sasuke sighed in relief. At least it wouldn't be his brother's name. Calling the baby by his brother's name all the time will eventually make him puke.

"Sasuke!"

"What?" he asked. All of a sudden, his eyes went wide. _Did he just say what he wasn't supposed to say?_ He immediately looked at Sakura. To his horror, she was staring at him with confusion etched on her face. Her mouth was gaped open as if she suddenly discovered something terrible.

"Suke...san...are you...?"

**UH-OH!

* * *

**

**A/N:** Well there you have it! I want to apologize again to my dear readers for my very long hiatus. After cram school my beta-reader and I are going to have our vacation to one of my favorite tourist spots: Singapore! It is the world's cleanest country and riding the airplane from Japan to there is exciting. Unfortunately, it's also my beta-reader's first time to ride a plane so I'm now coming up ways to torture her. Who knows? I might add some of our escapades in the next chapters so stay tuned! Don't forget to tell me what you think of the story! I MEAN it! Arigatou gozaimashita! Ja ne!

Well, here's an excerpt from our next chapter! Hope you enjoy this!

_This is terrible._

_In less than a few minutes, his cover is about to be revealed._

_And Sakura has an idea that he's..._

_"No! I can't let this stupid project and this girl get the best of me! I have to outwit them!" he said to himself._

_But how can he get out of this situation now that this girl in front of him knows the real deal?_

**NOOOOOOOO!**

**B/N:** Hehehe. So how was that? But we're not yet done! Here's our question for today:

"What is Sasuke going to do?"

a. Kill himself

b. Find a way to escape, even if it's impossible

c. Find a way to shut Sakura up

d. Kiss her senseless so that she will be able to forget the entire thing

**A/N:** Don't forget to answer this! I mean it! Your answers will decide the course of the story! Or my beta-reader will kill me due to my lack of ideas. Ja ne!


	22. Please say Daddy!

Disclaimer: Naruto! Not! Mine!

A/N: Hisashiburi minna-san! Currently on a short break from cram school. I really missed my computer! (Beta-reader bonks my head. Ow!) Anyway, we're only here on borrowed time just to post our next chapter!

First of all, I want to thank my readers who took their precious time in reading this story. And also, thank you especially to the people who added my story on their favorites, alerts page and C2s. Frankly, I was surprised that a lot of people were reading Yokoso. Early last year, I was creamed by the readers' reviews for making Sasuke into a geek! (I could still remember reading my first reviews like it was yesterday…you could check those out if you like, they're not that pretty but I still love them!)

Anyhow!

For those who took part in the question and answer portion in the last chapter, thank you very much! And thanks for the suggestions; I'd see to it that it'd be put into good use. This chapter was done while spending my boring days in class so please pardon me for the lack of humor (or romance).

* * *

**Chapter 22: Please say...DADDY!**

* * *

_(Recap!)_

Sasuke tapped his chin. Suddenly an idea hit him. "I know! Why don't we describe some of the baby's qualities? That way, we can come up with a name based from those qualities we chose."

Sakura's eyes lit up. "That's great! Let's see…" She stared at the baby's features. "He's so cute, so how about we call him Kawaii?"

Sasuke sweatdropped. "That's not a good name."

"Hm," she thought harder. Then she smiled. "How about Itachi?"

Silence hung in the air.

"Itachi? That's an ugly name," he retorted dryly. He flapped a hand pleadingly towards his wife. "Maybe…you should try another name, Sakura-san. If we're going to call him by that name…it'll bring us bad luck. Weasels are known to bring bad luck you know."

Sakura nodded as if she understood. "Is that so? Okay then…" Sasuke sighed in relief. At least it wouldn't be his brother's name. Calling the baby by his brother's name all the time would eventually make him puke.

"Sasuke!"

"What?" he asked. All of a sudden, his eyes went wide. _Did he just say what he wasn't supposed to say?_ He immediately looked at Sakura. To his horror, she was staring at him with confusion etched on her face. Her mouth was gaped open as if she suddenly discovered something terrible.

* * *

_(Finally! The continuation!)_

…………

"Whoo-no…" he mentally scolded himself.

Stupid!

Stupid!

Stupid Sasuke!

Baka!

He bonked himself mentally. "Wait! Why am I calling myself stupid? Unless I am really…" he gulped.

STUPID.

Geez. Another word to add to my vocabulary.

* * *

UCHIHA SASUKE'S DICTIONARY OF IDIOTIC PHRASES

Stupid. (n.) It is an overused term for a person who is in general, an IDIOT.

* * *

He sweatdropped. Now was not the time for thinking such…stupid, ehem… ridiculous things. Right now…

_This is terrible._

_In less than a few minutes, his cover is about to be revealed._

_And Sakura has an idea that he's..._

_"No! I can't let this stupid project and this girl get the best of me! I have to outwit them!" he said to himself._

_But how can he get out of this situation now that this girl in front of him knows the real deal?_

**NOOOOOOOO!**

**He had to find a way to escape this dilemma.**

Whether he liked it or not.

Apparently, his wife was gaping at him like a fish out of the water.

He sighed.

It was now or never.

"Sakura-san, I…"

…………

Unfortunately, she beat him right into it.

"Suke-san…"

Sweat dripped from the side of his temple.

The pink-haired girl's eyes widened like saucers and her plump little mouth was shaped into a perfect O. She was clutching the infant simulator tightly in her arms and if she held onto it more tightly, it'd break. On the other hand, Sasuke's palms began to itch. Damn it, he couldn't afford to have his cover blown right then and there. He had to do something or else…

_Goodbye cruel world._

He forced his mind to think of a strategy.

"If she asks who I really am, I'll just pretend that I'm not the one she thinks. I'll just answer that I knew the name from somewhere. Yeah, that's it," he thought. Mustering up courage from within him, he straightened his back and prepared to counterattack the girl's pending inquiry.

The girl was still dubious. "Anou…I was wondering…"

He forced a smile. "W-What…?"

She tapped her chin in thought. "Well I…I'm sorry if I'm a bit curious…"

"Go on…" he told her.

Sakura looked down at the simulator in her arms. "Well…I've been noticing this for a long time and I…"

"Noticing what…?" _Kami-sama, I'm getting nervous…_

She looked at him. "…I thought that you…"

"I…"

"You…"

"I, what?"

"Um…you know! You…"

"I, you know…what?" he asked, a bit impatient. Damn, now he was getting annoyed. _'Just get on with it already!'_ his mind screamed. If she was going to continue like this, he'd eventually pass out on the floor due to increased intracranial pressure.

"Suke-san. I…"

It was too bad she seemed oblivious to what he was thinking. He groaned. Enough was enough! "Sakura-san. We're not going to understand each other if we start with 'I, You, Uhms, and You knows.' Why don't you just ask me what you want to know and get it over with?"

The girl responded with a slight "Eek!" Then she bowed her head in apology. Sasuke waited PATIENTLY as she took down a few deep breaths and finally looked at him. He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Go on," he urged her.

Sakura nodded then asked…

"Who are you, really?"

His smile cracked.

Or rather…

His facial muscles began to spasm.

* * *

11:00 PM

Uchiha household…

Itachi sighed as he watched the ending credits of the movie then turned the television off. Chick flicks always made him cry. He was dabbing his eyes with a tissue when the phone suddenly rang. He took a glance at his watch to look at the time then winced.

'Who the heck is this idiot? Calling at this ungodly hour!' he cursed as he got up from the sofa and headed towards the phone. Picking up the receiver, he grumbled.

"Who is this?"

"ITACHI!" came a whined reply.

"Wha…?" he put the receiver into a more snug position. Maybe his hearing got impaired. Was that a woman's voice? He then repeated his inquiry, this time in a slower pace. "Who…the…heck…is…this?"

A sigh.

A pause.

Then a curse.

"Damn it, 'nisan! It's me!"

One of Itachi's perfectly shaped eyebrows went up.

A soft cackle.

Then a reply.

"Oh it's you, ototou. How's the life of a married man doing?" he greeted rather exuberantly. He could hear his brother cussing at the other end of the line. He chuckled. Serves him right for calling at eleven in the evening. Doesn't little Sasuke know that it was already way past his bedtime?

On the other hand, his younger brother seemed uneasy. In fact, he was breathing heavily. Suddenly concerned, Itachi gripped the phone tight. "Is there something wrong, Sasuke?"

"I'm doomed…"

"What?"

"I'm doomed!"

Itachi sighed. These were one of those times when he hated his younger brother: For being a spineless little brat. "Sasuke. What is exactly going on in that brain of yours? When are you going to stop acting like a weak simpering girl?" he snarled.

His brother growled in annoyance. "I'm not acting like a girl…! It's just that…damn, it! Itachi, I'M DOOMED!"

Now they were really getting somewhere. "WHAT?"

…………

On the other side of the line…

Upon hearing his brother's outburst, Sasuke cursed under his breath. It was really not his day, he concluded. Grasping the phone tightly, he made sure that Sakura's room was closed then sank back into the sofa. He spoke again, this time, in clenched teeth. "I'm doomed 'nisan. I may not be able to keep my façade any longer."

"What? How did that happen? Don't tell me, you went out of the room without your dorky apparel on and Sakura-san saw it," his brother answered puckishly.

The raven-haired teen huffed in annoyance. "I'm….not…that…stupid (A/N: Can't help it!) It's just…she might have an idea that I'm Sasuke. Although I'm still safe, I can no longer guarantee that I will be able to keep this a secret any longer. What shall I do?"

Instead of giving him an advice, Itachi laughed. "Ototou, why should you be afraid of Sakura-san? So what if she finds out? Good job! You got yourself a girlfriend. Just tell her that you'll do everything, even be her lover as long as she doesn't spill your guts to somebody else."

Man, if there would be one thing he wanted to do right now…he would kill his brother. "I'm not kidding, 'nisan. Once Haruno finds out that I'm Uchiha Sasuke, she'll spill my secret to that blasted Hyuuga then BAM! He'll tell Otousan about our little deal with Konoha Academy and I'll be shipped back to Sunagakure in an instant," Sasuke retorted.

And he added. "And the worst part of it…I, I degraded myself! I called myself a pin-up idol!"

Itachi only sighed. Then he simply answered, "Is this the part where I'm going to laugh out loud and call you a sissy?"

"I'm SERIOUS! CUT IT OUT!"

While listening to his brother's ramblings, Itachi stared at the ceiling as if seeking some possible divine intervention. It was no use, his brother was beginning to become out of control. But Sasuke was right. Once Fugaku finds out that Sasuke was studying at Konoha instead of Suna, he'd definitely blow the entire place up just to return his son back to Sunagakure. And that would be a bad idea.

Neither one of them spoke. Silence passed for a few minutes. The older Uchiha picked on his nails while coming up with a solution that would save his brother's hide. On the other hand, Sasuke stared at his feet. When Itachi finally addressed him, his heart took a huge leap.

"Sasuke."

"What?"

"I'm on grocery duty tomorrow."

Sasuke's nostrils flared. "What the hell? Itachi, I'm being serious here for once! Forget about that grocery crap and help me think of a way to keep Haruno away from me!"

Itachi regarded his outburst like a kid's. "And I'm also serious. Do you know what will happen to a person who doesn't restock his fridge in a few days? Severe malnutrition. And that's going to happen to me if you don't stop blabbering and go to sleep."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Figure it out." He sighed.

"I can't!"

Yawning, he supported the cordless phone in-between his ear and shoulder. He trudged wearily to his room. "Listen to me ototou," he said as he opened the door. "I understand how you feel. But you're so damn unlucky to call me late at night. Why don't you help me with grocery duty tomorrow to keep your mind off things?"

Sasuke almost threw the phone across the wall after hearing his brother's nonchalant reply. "W-What? But it's Thursday tomorrow! I'm on cleaning duty and that would last until five in the afternoon. How can I still accompany you to your damn grocery duty?"

"I'll tell you the details. Night, sweet dreams ototou."

"Wait…! Itachi!"

CLICK!

* * *

Sasuke heard the unmistakable BEEEEEPPPPP-ing sound. It was no use. His brother ended the call. Placing the phone back in its cradle, he slumped back in his bunk. He removed his glasses, putting it on the coffee table. "Shit, what am I going to do? I may have escaped that one before, I'm not sure if I can do it again…" he thought as his mind transported him to that very climactic scenario.

…………

FLASHBACK!

…………

"Who are you, really?"

His smile cracked.

Or rather…

His facial muscles began to spasm.

…………

Sakura was still looking at him. Her green eyes were filled with curiosity, or so he had thought. Adjusting his glasses at the bridge of his nose nervously, he replied. "W-Why do you ask?"

"Well, I couldn't help wondering…" she trailed off as she placed the simulator on the sofa. She sidled next to him. "When I spoke Sasuke-san's name, you instantly reacted. Do you know Sasuke-san by any chance?"

"Wha?" he blinked. He replayed her question in his brain.

"_Do you know Sasuke-san by any chance?"_

He sighed in relief. It was a good thing she was naïve. Giving a low laugh, he sat back on the sofa and waved his hand dismissively. "What are you talking about, Sakura-san? Of course everyone knows him. He's that famous, uh, pin-up idol. Am I right?"

Sakura blinked. Then she laughed.

"I didn't know that Sasuke-san was that famous. When Neji-kun introduced him to me, he was so cool." She cuddled their baby. "But after spending time with him during these past few days, I've been wondering…"

"Wondering about what?"

She looked at him deeply in the eyes. "That he might be hiding something from me. I don't know why but the Sasuke-san I know seemed to be different from the one Neji-kun showed to me."

It was a good thing the clock chimed, signaling that it was time for them to go to bed. Sakura bade goodnight and headed to the bedroom. Meanwhile, Sasuke slumped back helplessly on the sofa, his heart pounding erratically.

"_He might be hiding something from me."_

"Crap. I can't stop thinking about what she said! I have to stop this," he cursed as he tried to form a semblance of sleep. "Even if it means crushing my so-called friendship with her…"

* * *

Thursday

10:00 AM

"What a day!" Sakura stretched her arms as she finished washing her clothes. It was a good day and the entire class was granted a day-off. Their little kid whom they both named Koichi was sleeping its electronic chip off while being strapped on his father's back. And the father was attacking the floors viciously with his mop.

After hanging the laundry, Sakura removed her apron. She then went to the living room and took a seat on the sofa. "Why don't you take some rest, Suke-san? Koichi-kun seemed to love sleeping behind your back," she commented. He looked so tired and pale; she couldn't help but worry that he might pass out.

The raven-haired boy wiped sweat from his forehead then adjusted his glasses. "I couldn't help it. I'm so used to cleaning the floors. Maybe, I'm developing an obsessive-compulsive disorder." After mopping the floor, he squeezed the water out and watched it pour down into the bucket. He stole a glance at Sakura who seemed to be enjoying watching him work.

The pink-haired girl sighed. "Since we don't have anything to do for today, why don't we head out to the mall? Ino-chan told me that the last day of the sale is today."

Sasuke seemed to consider but he forced himself to resist. It was the last day of the sale? Sounds like a good idea! There might be an all-out sale for canned tomatoes! Alas, he fiddled with the mop. "Why don't you go instead, Sakura-san? You worked pretty hard today. You can bring Koichi along. If…that's alright with you?" He unfastened the strap to his back then handed the simulator to Sakura.

She accepted the boy, confusion etched on her face. "Are you sure? You look like you're the one who needs to get away from all these tasks."

"No, it's perfectly fine. Go and have a good time," he smiled thinly and gestured for her to leave. _I have plans of my own anyway…_

Just then, Koichi made whining sounds. He flailed his arms up and down and muttered, "Maammmeee…Daaadddeee…"

Silence sailed in the air.

Then squealing came next.

"Oh my god! Koichi-kun can talk!" Sakura hugged their baby happily. She raised the baby at Sasuke's face. "Did you hear that Suke-san? Kurenai-sensei told me that if the baby learns to call his parents by his name, this means our grades would go up! And by hearing our voices, he can instantly recognize us as his true parents. Imagine, he just called us Mommy and Daddy!"

"Actually, he said Daaadddddeeee," Sasuke answered dourly. Right now, he was not in the mood to celebrate their baby's first words. Running a hand through his hair, he looked at the time. "Maybe you should hurry up if you want to catch the last day of the sale."

The pink-haired girl nodded her head in understanding. Then she had an idea. "Maybe, I can shop some baby clothes for Koichi-kun!" She nuzzled the baby's cheek. Koichi made happy gurgling sounds then answered, "Maaammmmeee…" Sakura squealed again as she cuddled the simulator again then dashed for the bedroom. "I'm gonna go change!" was all she said as she let slammed the door shut.

Leaving Sasuke with his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

…………

12:00 NN

Konoha Mall

"I still can't believe that you instantly made that baby of yours talk. I've been spending the past few days forcing Miku-chan to talk but all she says is Goo-goo Gaa-gaa!" Ino wrinkled her nose in disgust as she changed her infant simulator's diaper. She and Sakura were at the female lavatory because of Miku's sudden urge to excrete her 'wastes'.

Sakura sighed. Strapped to her back, Koichi slept soundly. Before leaving the dorm, her husband immediately changed the baby's diaper. When she asked for the reason, his only reply was so that she wouldn't have a tough time dealing with the baby's fussiness. And she wouldn't admit that out loud to him because it was true.

Stroking Koichi's downy hair, she mused. "It's a good thing that Suke-san changed Koichi-kun's diaper. He slept almost throughout the day." After Ino finished dressing up Miku-chan, the two girls went out of the comfort room and resumed their shopping.

…………

Meanwhile…

At the other end of the mall…

"Ahhhh…isn't this nice? I'm so happy that I'm spending quality time with my little brother."

Sasuke forced himself not to gag on his brother's words. Clutching several shopping bags in his hands, he trudged alongside Itachi as they went shopping from one stall to another. 'Was this really his way of grocery shopping? It was more of like he just called me to come over and be his errand boy!' he thought angrily. Suddenly, he wished that his brother's loyal dog Kisame were here instead of him.

"Lookie-lookie, ototou! Aren't these cute?" Itachi gushed as he showed him a rather flamboyant pair of purple and red-checkered boxers. Heat rushed to Sasuke's cheeks and if he weren't hanging on to Itachi's bags, he would've killed him right there on the spot. However, his brother was waiting for his answer and deliberately waving the underwear right under his nose so he quickly answered, "Aa."

Itachi, on the other hand, loved to make his younger brother suffer. "What? I can't hear you, otoutou."

"I…said…Aa. It's cute too. Would you mind? We have to finish this spree of yours or else Haruno will notice that I'm gone!" he said irritatingly.

His brother made a loud 'tsking sound. "Ototou. I already told you countless times to tell Sakura-san the truth. You know it's not going to cost you your limb if you do that." He focused his attention on several nail polishes on the rack.

Sasuke sighed as he glared at a small flock of female admirers that were either gushing at him or getting a shot of his face. Itachi was still fawning over a glittery purple nail polish and sadly it was causing annoyance to our main character. "Oi, 'nisan. You better stop doing that or everyone will think that you're gay."

"Let them think. If I were you, I'll be thinking of a way to escape your so-called fan girls," his brother replied as he stuffed a handful of nail polish in the shopping basket. He tapped his chin in thought. "I wonder if there are still some bottles of clear polish somewhere here…" he muttered to himself as he began walking, obviously leaving his brother behind.

The young Uchiha trotted after his brother. "Wait! Don't leave me out here!"

* * *

"Sakura! Over here!"

Haruno headed to where her friend was, clutching a heavy basket filled with groceries. She stopped in front of the blond, huffing. "Whew! Finally, I thought that we'd never finish. I already got what I need. How about you?" she asked after showing her groceries to Ino.

"I need sanitary napkins, toiletries…all the works. But first," Ino held her infant simulator who kept on crying with disgust. "I have to change Miku's diaper again! This stupid simulator is surely a pain in the butt!"

Sakura giggled as Ino retreated to the bathroom. "Don't call her a pain in the butt or you'll have a failing grade! Even these little guys have feelings too." She turned to her infant simulator who still slept. "At least you're an adorable one. 'Ne, Koichi-kun?"

"Scat!"

BUMP!

"Aaaahhhh!"

CRASH!

"OW!"

"KYYYAAAAHHHHHH!"

Sakura barely had time to grab hold onto her groceries when she crashed into something warm and solid. Her basket fell down on the floor, making a huge crash with all the cans and boxes scattered on four corners. She also fell, with her bottom coming in contact with the ground. It was a good thing that Koichi was safely strapped behind her back or else…

She would end up like Ino.

"Are you all right? Here, grab my hand."

She took the hand that was offered to her. Standing up she looked up to the person. Gratefully. "Thank you very much. I'm really sorry that I…" she trailed off then blinked.

"You are…"

…………

"Oh geez…wonder where that stupid ototou of mine ran off to now?" Itachi grumbled as he finished paying his purchases. Sasuke mumbled something about canned tomatoes then suddenly disappeared in a whoosh. Grabbing his bags, he stashed it in the cart then pulled it along in search for his brother.

…………

"I don't believe this…why of all places, of all times, and worst of all…" Sasuke grumbled angrily as he came face-to-face with none other than his pink-haired wife (sort of). HE just breezed into the aisle for a can of tomatoes when he encountered some lovesick women who wanted nothing more but his fabulous bod. Of course, his basic instinct was to run but never had he thought that he would run into Haruno of all places!

Sakura on the other hand blushed like a ripe tomato. She tried her best to avoid the Uchiha's gaze but her heart wouldn't stop pounding. "I-It's weird to see you here…anou, Itachi-san."

The fuming young man glared at her to death. "I can't believe that you're this dense."

She immediately recognized that kind of tone and talk. She bit her lip then bowed her head in apology. "I never realized that it was you. Forgive me…S-Sasuke-san."

Instead of accepting her apology, he raised his eyebrow. He ran a hand down the hem of his black button-down shirt. "I thought that you were smarter than that. We've seen each other a couple of times in the past few days."

"I'm really sorry!" she blurted out. In truth, she instantly recognized him but was too afraid to call him by his name. Itachi-san was kinder than him so his name was the safest one she could call. But how it angered the other Uchiha-san, she didn't have the slightest idea.

Now Sasuke didn't want to dawdle around. He sat on his heels then without word began picking up her groceries one by one. Sakura blinked then crouched down to help him. "Here…let me…" she said but he waved her hands away.

"No. I bumped into you so it's my fault. Let me pick them up," he retorted as he stuffed them back inside the basket. Sakura watched helplessly as he carried the heavy load as if it was nothing. She stretched her arms out to take the basket from him.

"Anou, Sasuke-san. It's all right. I can carry it…"

He walked ahead of her. "You can't. Judging by your tiny frame, it'll probably bring you to the floor. AGAIN." When he felt that Sakura didn't move from her spot, he turned his head around and faced her. "Are you going to buy anything else?" he asked.

She only looked at him with wide green eyes. "Huh?"

"I asked if you still have some shopping left to do." He really wasn't a patient guy, now he knew.

Kami-sama she was so clueless. "Um…yes. As a matter of fact, I'm about to go to the counter and pay." When she heard the boy sigh, she knew she must have offended him. But when he grabbed her hand and tugged her along, she began to have second doubts. "A-Anou…Sasuke-san…"

He kept on walking.

Sakura grabbed on to his arm with her free hand. "Wait, Sasuke-san!"

"What?"

"Where are we going?"

He stopped then sighed. He glared at her again, but this time lightly. "Since you're done picking something for yourself, then maybe you can help me out." Sakura cocked her side to the side, her green eyes filled with confusion. "How can I help?" she asked.

"Help me find the aisle where they keep the canned tomatoes."

It was such an easy request, actually, more like a demand. Sakura smiled to herself. This was really the Sasuke-san she knew. When she was about to walk by his side, Koichi began to wake up. And before they knew it, he started crying.

"WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Oh no! Koichi-kun!" Sakura yanked her hand from Sasuke's hold. She removed the straps that held Koichi then cuddled him. "It's okay, baby. Mommy's here. There's nothing to be afraid of," she cooed.

The wailing still continued.

"Haruno, I think," he bit his lip when he realized that if he told her something about Koichi's cause of crying, he would give away his cover. Good thing Sakura was not that silly as he thought her to be when she finally noticed that it was time to change Koichi's nappies.

"I see it's time for a diaper change." Sakura chuckled as she pecked Koichi on the nose. "Let me get your diaper first from the bag." Without word she handed the infant simulator to Sasuke who only blinked in surprise. Seeing the confusion in his face, she gave him a smile. "Will you please hold Koichi-kun for a moment, Sasuke-san? I'll just grab some diapers in my bag so that I can change him."

"Uh…sure. But," Sasuke held the simulator at arm's length. There was no way he was going to cuddle this tiny monster. Sakura fumbled inside her bag for the diapers when suddenly, Koichi stopped crying. She muttered a tiny "Huh?" then turned to Sasuke. "He stopped crying?" she asked him.

Sasuke glared at her. "I'm not sure. How was I supposed to know? And why's this little twit…"

"DDDDAAAAADDDDDDEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!"

Both teens went silent for a moment. Sasuke immediately averted his gaze from Haruno then focused instead on the baby he was holding. 'Kami-sama, oh no…' he thought pleadingly as the simulator giggled, waved his arms in the air and kept on calling him Daddy. He turned to Sakura who was staring at him, her eyes wide and mouth gaped open like a fish.

Yep. They both heard it.

With shaky fingers, Sakura pointed at the baby. "Why did Koichi-kun stop crying when you simply held him? And…" she moved her finger upward, this time at him. "Then he called you daddy." When Sasuke made no move to answer, she continued. "That's really weird. Because Kurenai-sensei told us that this baby can talk after he instantly hears the voices of his parents. And the voices he can recognize are mine and…"

"And?" he asked shakily.

"Suke-san's." Sakura walked closer to him, determination fused in her pupils. Sasuke suddenly had an inkling to step back just like what he was doing now. "Sasuke-san…" she began, her voice smooth. "Are you by any chance…"

NO!

DON'T SAY IT!

IF YOU DO...

I'LL...

"…Suke-san?"

* * *

A/N: Whew! Finally done with this chapter. And it was a long one too! And now that we're back in business, let me give imaginary Sasuke plushies in all his geeky glory! And to give you the good news, only two or more chapters left and this arc will finally end. Will Naruto finally confess his feelings for him without getting clobbered by Tenten? Will Neji be able to patch things up with Sakura? Will Tenten shed her tomboyish attitude for a more feminine one? Or will Sakura dump Neji and turn to another guy? And finally, will Sasuke still be able to keep his disguise intact?

You guys can freely answer these questions but the answers will lie in the next arc!

B/N: This was a long one! Hope I did an OK job on beta-ing it. I was kinda out of it. Been sick for several days now. Hope you enjoyed the story. Reviews are welcome! Till next time. Ja!

A/N: Wait! Before we leave, I'm going to give you guys a question for the next chapter!

What will Sasuke's response to Sakura's claim?

a. He shrugs his shoulder then says, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you've got the wrong person."

b. He gives her one of his sexy smirks and says, "How did you know? Come here and give daddy a kiss."

c. He drops the baby in Sakura's arms then runs.

d. He glares at her hard and says nothing.

e. He faints.

B/N: And there you have it! You can answer the question of the day and let's leave the rest to the author! Don't forget to give us your reactions to this story, we love ya all! Ja ne!


	23. Behind the facade

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi. Hoo-yeah!

**A/N:** Hisashiburi, minna-san! Finally, after finishing cram school and taking the entrance tests, I'm happy to say **we're back** in business! For those who haven't grasped the meaning of cram school, it's a preparatory institution wherein they provide you learning for advancement for your chosen school career. Kinda like a review center that my beta–reader keeps on saying the last time.

But enough about me! As a gift to our beloved readers, we decided to add a little spice in the story.

Thank you very much for answering the question in the previous chapter, your answers really made me crazy (and I was laughing my head off to most of them). This really meant that you loved the story and that gives me inspiration to make you some more (It's also fun to make Sasuke's life a living hell). Anyways, let's ditch this intro and head on to the story!

* * *

**Recap:**

"DDDDAAAAADDDDDDEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!"

Both teens went silent for a moment. Sasuke immediately averted his gaze from Haruno then focused instead on the baby he was holding. 'Kami-sama, oh no…' he thought pleadingly as the simulator giggled, waved his arms in the air and kept on calling him Daddy. He turned to Sakura who was staring at him, her eyes wide and mouth gaped open like a fish.

Yep. They both heard it.

With shaky fingers, Sakura pointed at the baby. "Why did Koichi-kun stop crying when you simply held him? And…" she moved her finger upward, this time at him. "Then he called you daddy."

When Sasuke made no move to answer, she continued. "That's really weird. Because Kurenai-sensei told us that the baby could only talk after he hears the voices of his parents. And the only voices he could recognize are mine and…"

"And?" he asked shakily.

"Suke-san's." Sakura walked closer to him, determination fused in her pupils.

Sasuke suddenly had an inkling to step back just like what he was doing now. "Sasuke-san…" she began, her voice smooth. "Are you by any chance…"

NO!

DON'T SAY IT!

IF YOU DO…

I"LL…

"…Suke-san?"

* * *

Chapter 23: Behind the facade

* * *

Itachi sighed as he surveyed each and every aisle for his dear brother's presence. He rounded up to another corner and there he caught sight of Yamanaka Ino leaving the girl's bathroom. His eyebrow went up. He decided to follow the blond teen. He had a hunch that he might find his brother in this way.

"If that girl is here, then that means…"

……………

There was stillness in the air.

In the midst of it all, a pink-haired girl stood. With confused green eyes and her mouth in a huge "O", her finger still pointed at the boy in front of her. On the other hand, the boy who was holding the infant stimulator looked petrified with his pale skin becoming even paler and his onyx eyes as big like dinner plates.

And the culprit…

Giggling and waving its mechanical arms to and fro all the while calling…

"Dadddeeee! Daaadddddeeee! DAAAADDDDEEEEEEE!"

It was a good thing that Sasuke was holding the baby tightly or else he would've dropped it on the floor. He was rigid as a stick and surely, if Sakura pushed him slightly with her finger he would easily fall down onto the ground with a loud thump.

Yup. As quoted earlier. Petrified.

With the words echoing in his head, 'What to do…what to do…'

Inside our dear Uchiha's brain, five well-thought of strategies was formed. And the choices were…

Shrug his shoulders and say, "I'm sorry but you've got the wrong person."

Admit the truth and say, "Why didn't you say so? Come here and give daddy a kiss."

Hands the baby to Sakura then run like a freaked out cheetah.

Do nothing. Just glare hard.

What the heck? Drop dead.

And now, analyzing these choices according to Uchiha Sasuke's reasoning…

There's no way I'm going to be able to find my way out by lying. She will still continue to prod and demand that I'm Sasuke! And if that happens, then that will be the end of me!

(Sweatdrops) As if I have the guts to do this! I already made a mistake at the last festival and I'm determined to keep my body intact. No freaking way. She already gave me the cooties!

The hell! I'm not going to do this! She'll think that I'm a gutless coward!

WTF? I'm kinda doing it right now…

Since when did I come up with this…ehem, stupid idea?

And the list went on and on.

* * *

Itachi rounded up to once more another corner. "Hmm…I lost sight of Sasuke's classmate. He's not going to forgive me if I don't find him in time. He doesn't want to bump into Sakura-san in fear that he'll get himself in an impossibly tight spot with her." He sighed when he couldn't find any sign of Ino anywhere. "Oh well, time to look for another lead."

While finding his younger brother, his mind swirled into numerous events which were sadly about their near future. After Sasuke's graduation, they would move out from their home and back to the Uchiha mansion. From then, Sasuke would be recognized as the next president of the Uchiha Industries with Itachi as his right-hand man. Fugaku would remain in the company as the head of the board of trustees. For Itachi, that would be his father's way of keeping Sasuke stringed for his own personal benefits.

Their mother on the other hand was rather…spineless. Yes, he thought of her as spineless from the beginning. She couldn't even voice out her feelings and she couldn't even protect his ototou from their father's malevolence. If only things didn't turn out to be bad from the beginning…

"Well, enough of the sorry part. I still have to find him," he said to himself, turning right to the fruits aisle.

…………

Meanwhile…

After planning and rejecting hundreds of other choices from his head, Sasuke's brain took a major drastic turn. "Uh…nooooo! I'm running out of ideas! Think, Sasuke! Think brain of mine, think! If I don't do something now, it's going to be bye-bye for me! Damn it…"

Because of his overexerted effort of utilizing his wits, Uchiha Sasuke's brain gave up on him. In lay man's terms, he was experiencing a severe case of mental block. Now that his brain went on temporary hibernation, his limbs got affected. His jaw also dropped then his eyes went wide. And thus…he became even more petrified.

Like a stiff rigid post.

Added that the baby was wiggling in his rigid hands…it was a **hilarious sight**.

Which unfortunately, our equally scared Haruno Sakura-san noticed this weird behavior.

"S-Sasuke-san? Are you all right?"

'_I'm doomed…doomed…doomed…'_

"Sasuke-san?"

'_I'm doomed…'_

"Are you all right?"

He only looked at her. With his eyes glassy. Almost dead.

'_Doomed…doomed for eternity…'_

"…suke-san?"

'Waaaahhhh! Ni-chan! Save me!'

…………

As if on cue, Itachi appeared. The raven-haired man practically floated his way into the scene. Sakura blinked when she caught notice of him however, his brother was too damn stiff to acknowledge him. The older Uchiha raised an eyebrow at the sight before him. Pretty and adorable Haruno-san was somewhat engaged in a face-off with his little brother.

However, his ototou rather had turned into a post while holding a squirming toy.

'Oh, this must be what he was referring to as his baby boy. How cute,' Itachi thought.

He felt the icy chill coming from his brother's direction. He sighed. Time to break the ice.

"Haruno-san, I'm surprised to see you here and," he added with a hint of teasing on his tone. "Looks like I have no trouble in finding my little brother at all because he's with you."

Sakura squeaked. Weird. Why do girls do that all the time?

Itachi sighed again as he patted her head in an affectionate manner. "I was just kidding, Haruno-san. So, how's it going?"

"Umm…I…anou, Itachi-san…"

"Hm?"

"You see…I…"

"You what?"

"Well…" Sakura flexed her rather stiffening finger as she pointed again at the object of her regard. Itachi followed her gaze and mentally sweat dropped to what she was referring to. Standing in front of them was none other than his brother who apparently been turned to stone by the pink-haired medusa in front of him. And in his arms was an electronic toy with arms and feet flailing happily while crowing out the words...

"DDDAAAAADDDDEEEEE! DDDDAAAAADDDDEEEEE!"

**Again and again.**

"Daddy?" Itachi blinked at the loud miniature in his brother's arms. He didn't mention that this _Ochibi_ could talk. _'Sasuke never mentioned this one little tidbit to me,'_ he thought. Turning to look at his brother, the raven-haired Uchiha noticed that Sasuke hadn't moved even an inch from his spot.

He bit back a laugh. "Oh, I see. He's frozen solid. I wonder what caused him to be like this." Or maybe, his brother's nightmare finally came true. As if that was going to happen anyway. He tapped his brother on the cheek and chuckled at his lack of response. "Oi, ototou. You should be ashamed of yourself. Here you are standing in front of a very pretty girl and you got yourself tongue-tied. What's wrong?"

Sasuke craned his neck sideways to glare at his brother. Up until now, he was doing his hardest to recover from the shock. With the wailing baby still locked within his grip, he bitterly knew that he has to find a way to escape this horrible dilemma. And he had to act fast before everything results into a lifetime trauma. Taking a deep breath, he tried to make himself appear normal then gave the people in front of him a shaky smile.

"I'm fine, 'nisan. You don't have to worry about me," he answered in between clenched teeth. He loosened his grip on the baby's sides as he glared at Sakura who immediately shrank under his gaze. "Haruno-san and I were just having some kind of…"

Sakura piped in. "A conversation, Itachi-san."

"A misunderstanding," Sasuke growled.

Itachi nodded, even though confused at the events. "Uh-huh, a misunderstanding."

"Yes, a misunderstanding!" the blushing Haruno nodded.

"Call that a life-to-death misunderstanding!" his brother affirmed.

His older brother's expression went stern. "Okay. A misunderstanding? Fine, I got it."

Sasuke and Sakura let out a sigh of relief. Finally, someone understood his or her little 'situation'. But then, Itachi burst out laughing with a hand running through his hair in an _I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about_ gesture, they were proven wrong.

Dead wrong.

"Gomenasai, but I don't get what you're talking about! What's the misunderstanding all about? Hahaha."

Both teens sweat dropped. How forgetful of them! Of course, they hadn't told Itachi-san about their predicament. YET. Before Sasuke cursed himself for his stupidity, Sakura stepped in. To ease things up and avoid the infamous Uchiha Sasuke's glare, she filled the older brother in with the details. While the younger Uchiha, on the other hand, tried his best not to crack under pressure. And the baby, who suddenly found an interesting hobby of pulling his supposedly 'daddy's' bangs was not helping at all.

After hearing everything, Itachi put his laughter on hold. "Let me get this straight. As soon as you put little Koichi-kun in my ototou's arms, he suddenly waved his arms and legs and called him Daddy? And now, what you're saying is…"

Sakura twiddled her fingers nervously. "…um…then I remembered that Kurenai-sensei told me that once Koichi-kun recognizes his mother and father's voice, he will call them as his 'Mommy' and 'Daddy". But the problem here is, Koichi-kun only responds to my partner, Suke-san. And Suke-san technically, is his daddy. Which means…"

Itachi gave Sasuke a knowing look. "I see. So the father that Koichi-kun should be responding to is not my little brother here but your partner, Suke-san." Sakura nodded eagerly while Sasuke groaned. "Okay. Now I finally get it." He then walked towards his brother who took a step back. Upon reaching him, he grasped his brother's shoulders.

Sasuke looked at his brother coldly. "W-what are you planning to do, 'nisan?"

Itachi bowed his head, his expression hidden behind his bangs. "I can't believe this…"

"Can't believe what?"

"What a gutless coward you turned out to be."

Sasuke's eyes widened. Was his brother pressuring him to admit the truth to Sakura? And didn't he use that line from the beginning?

Then Itachi stared at him in the eye. Then shook him hard. "How dare you, stealing someone else's wife! If Suke-san were here, he'd pound the living daylights out of you. And what's this? You're even stealing his baby!"

Sasuke gave up the remaining self-respect for his brother right that very minute. "What are you babbling about Itachi! I didn't steal her away from whomever guy she's with! And in any case, shouldn't you be helping me in finding a way out of this? And," he pointed at Sakura. "Don't even think of going on her side!"

"Oh? And care to explain why the kid called you Daddy?" his brother offered helpfully.

Damn it, he was really going to kill his brother.

"I don't know how this happened. The baby started yelling Daddy at me! What was I supposed to do?" Sasuke ranted. They were getting nowhere! He threw Sakura an accusing look. "This is all your fault. If you didn't ask me that stupid question, I wouldn't be facing my brother's bad side!" he said angrily.

The girl squeaked. "I-I never meant for this to happen…I'm so sorry."

Itachi bonked him on the head. "Quit picking on Haruno-san, Uchiha Sasuke. I thought I taught you better than that. Respecting the opposite sex is one of the basic qualities that a gentleman should have."

"I'm not a gentleman!"

His brother flapped his hand in a dismissive manner. "Okay, okay…you didn't have to remind us that you like sadism."

Sakura blushed like a ripe tomato on what she heard.

Sasuke's cheeks flushed crimson. "Shut up!" Eyeing his brother for what seemed the umpteenth time, he decided to give this up. "We're not getting anywhere! Itachi, we only had a simple misunderstanding. Apparently, this little midget here mistook me for his Daddy. That's all."

Tapping one manicured nail, Itachi replied. "And what about the part that this baby called you daddy? Sasuke, not even I can vouch for what you're saying. This is an infant simulator we're talking here. He may have an encoded chip that will instantly recognize Suke-san's voice and your voice. Unless…"

He gave his brother a smug look. _'I wonder how he will be able to come up with a plan to escape this very deep hole he dug himself into…'_

Sasuke braced himself for the startling conclusion.

"…you really **are** Suke-san."

Sakura's eyes widened.

* * *

On the other side of the mall…

"Man, its hot!"

Naruto fanned himself with a fan while holding Sachi on the other. Since they were given a day-off, they decided to crash into the mall. Casting a wary glance at the person sitting across him, he laughed. "Why the long face, T? Just because Sasuke-chan didn't come with us, you'll do nothing but sulk all day. We're at the mall, take Sachi with you and have some fun!"

Tenten gave him a glare. "I'm not good with kids, particularly that whining infant simulator you're holding!" She ran a hand through her pony-tailed locks. "And that stupid Sasuke! Can't believe that I have to do my hardest to get his attention! The nerve! He chose those stupid sales on canned tomatoes rather than me!"

Her blond friend gave a low laugh. "Well that's Sasuke-chan for us. The densest being that ever walked the Earth."

"Argh!" she finished her orange juice in one huge gulp. Tossing the paper cup into the trash bin next to her, she sighed. "Although, Sasuke's a dummy when it comes to situations like this…I'm kinda happy whenever I see him like that."

Sachi giggled happily when her father cuddled her. Naruto raised a brow at that statement. "Hmm…yeah. The all dense and no reaction personality. Even though we've been friends with him for a long time, I still think that the Sasuke we're hanging out with and the one in geek mode are two different entities."

The girl smirked. "That's because he's good in acting."

The blond smiled. "Maybe."

Man, was foxface trying to tick her off? "Hmph! So what? Are you saying that he's different when it comes to us? And what of the pink-haired ogre? Don't tell me that she is doing something to Sasuke behind our backs!" Tenten demanded, clenching her fists.

Naruto laughed, obviously enjoying his friend's discomfort. "Haha. I sense jealousy. Don't worry I'm sure that she is not doing anything gory to our Sasuke-chan! He's not going to let that happen, I assure you."

Sachi whined for her mother's attention. Naruto handed the baby to Tenten who reluctantly received her. "Looks like dear little Sachi wants her mother's attention. You know, if you're going to be nice to her then maybe you'll have a chance to be Sasuke-chan's wife!"

To his amusement, Tenten stared at him with stars in her eyes. "You think so?"

"That was a joke."

She glared at him angrily.

…………

Now he would really kill his brother.

Sasuke gave his brother a threatening look, daring him to repeat what he just stated earlier. Beside him, Sakura stood rigidly with her eyes still wide. Itachi on the other hand, looked smug. And somewhat happy that he dropped the bomb with the same effect as those C4 nukes that his friend Deidara made as a hobby.

Well, with Koichi whining on the way…

"Will you take this one off my hands? And please stop his whining." the raven-haired teen shoved the baby to Sakura. She made a startled gasp but accepted him anyway, almost forgetting that she was supposed to change his nappies. After mumbling some sort of an excuse, she tottered off to the bathroom.

…………

Now back to the brothers…

When Sakura was out of earshot, Sasuke confronted his brother. He grabbed him by the collar and hissed at his ear. "What the hell was that for? You dared to test my patience!"

Itachi didn't appear surprised. In fact, he yawned much to his brother's annoyance. "Quite the opposite, ototou. And based from the reaction you made earlier, I say my plan worked."

Suddenly, the urge to teach his brother a lesson quickly dissipated. The young Uchiha raised an eyebrow. He threw his brother a suspicious look. "I don't believe you. You trapped me. Just when I thought I could put this situation behind, you plunged me into a deeper hole! Now I can't come up ways to make that girl forget about what happened earlier."

Itachi poked Sasuke on the forehead. "Foolish little brother. Haven't you realized that she was already suspecting you from the moment that baby called you Daddy? Lying would not get you anywhere. And even if you ask me to do it for you, it will be useless."

"I know!" Sasuke's expression went grim. "It's just; it's still too early for me to shed my façade. Until I finish my senior year and graduate with honors, I'm not going to revert to my old self."

His brother's expression softened. He patted him on the head in a comforting manner. "Even though you come up with pathetic ideas, I still support you. Once you graduate from Konoha Academy otousan is going to hound you to replace him as the next head of the company."

Sasuke huffed. "That manipulative old geezer."

"Whatever. So let's set that aside for a while and focus on the problem at hand." Itachi tapped a finger under his chin. "Judging from what she said earlier, I think that there's a way in order for you to escape this dilemma. However, I'm going to need your cooperation for this one."

Kami-sama, was he this willing to go under his brother's control? "Anything. Just help me get out of this mess."

Add to his horror, Itachi laughed. Rather evilly in fact. "Good."

Sasuke scuffed his shoes nervously. "So what should I do? Kill that dumb toy? Silence that girl? Finish them both? Tell me right now!"

"Okay. First, I want you to…scream like a little girl."

"I'll do it, I'll…WHAT!" He grabbed his brother again and shook the hell out of him. "Are you nuts? I thought you understood what I'm saying earlier! I told you to help me get out of this mess that Haruno created. Not to help me make a fool of myself!"

Itachi yanked his brother's hands off him. "Hai, hai. I was just testing your self-control, ototou. Earlier, you looked like you were raped by thousands of your fans. Repeatedly. Since you're so alert and ready to kill, I guess you're prepared enough for my plan to work."

The younger teen's eyebrow twitched. "If this is another one of your sick games, I'm going to take this matter in my own hands."

"Don't worry. You'll like this idea. But first," Itachi replied. He brought his hands forward, palms upturned. "Position your hands like this."

Sasuke was still skeptical but did it nonetheless. With a grin, Itachi brought his hands down, hitting his brother's hands with a loud smack. "Banzai!" he said.

"What the hell was that, 'nisan?"

The older answered with a grin. "Fighting spirits cheer from Kisame. Your good luck charm in case you face Haruno-san's wrath."

"Argh! WHY YOU! YOU'RE PLAYING ME!"

* * *

"Achoo!" Sakura wiped her nose with a tissue. She finally finished changing Koichi's nappies and her darling baby dozed off to dreamland. Sighing, she threw the 'wasted' diaper in the trashcan then set off to where her supposed 'husband' and Itachi-san are. As she made her way to them, numerous thoughts filled her head.

Everything suddenly turned strange.

She was wrong. Asking that stupid question to Sasuke-san. It was clear that he hated her. But she couldn't think of any reasons why he suddenly acted that way. Maybe it was because of Neji. Since Neji was still her current boyfriend (cooling-off) and he was Sasuke-san's rival, it was reason enough for the obsidian-eyed male to simply dislike her.

Well that was okay with her.

"But…I'm still uncertain," she said to herself. Glancing down at the baby in her arms, she took a deep breath. "Why would Koichi-kun respond to Sasuke-san? It's weird. The baby should only respond to Suke-san since he's officially the father. How did that happen? Unless…"

She was still in deep thought that she wasn't able to…

BUMP!

"YEEOOOOWWWWWWCCCCCHHHHH!"

"EEEYYYYAAAHHHH!"

"WWAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Oh my, I'm so sorry!"

And then…

"YYYYOOOOOUUUUU!!!!!"

…………

Back to our hero…

Sasuke glanced at his watch for the fifteenth time.

30 minutes.

"Damn that girl, where the heck is she? Changing that toy's diapers shouldn't take for more than 5 minutes," he grumbled, pointing angrily at his watch.

His brother didn't share his enthusiasm since he was too interested in the bargain bin next to him. His deep-set eyes caught sight of a press-on nail set for half a price. "Hmm…I wonder if buying those ones will save me the effort of having a manicure…" he mused, looking at his own nails.

Sasuke sighed heavily. "And he said that he was going to be serious." Watching his brother fawn over his nail art made him cringe. Itachi was the vainest person he had ever met in this planet! "He's too busy examining his own nails instead of helping me in my problem! Seriously, where's the brotherly love here? He…He chose his own dirty nails over me!"

Ignoring his brother, he decided to wait for his 'wife' a little longer. "If she doesn't arrive for another 30 minutes, I'll go," he said to himself. Anyhow, he needed to go back to the suite and make dinner before Sakura does.

For Tenten, this was beginning to become one of her unlucky days.

Staring at the girl in front of her, her blood began to boil. Ignoring Naruto's protests of not hurting her was not an exception. Even Sachi's wails when she accidentally squished her were no big deal. This girl in front of her was an enemy and must be obliterated quickly.

Too bad, foxface decided to be on the peaceful side. "T! Don't even think about doing it! You know what will happen if you start picking a fight with Sakura-chan!"

_Sakura-chan?_

"You creep! You calling her Sakura-chan pisses me off!" she snarled, eyeing the other girl with fury. Knowing that Neji's pet was the cause of her demise provided fuel to her all-consuming anger, and readiness to kill.

Naruto still blocked her way. His blue eyes filled with concern. "You're not going to hurt her, T. Remember what happened last time? I'm sure you didn't forget what he said to you about her."

Tenten froze.

Sakura blinked. She was clutching Koichi-kun so tightly that he might scream at any minute. "W-what's going on here…I don't understand what you guys are talking about. I'm sorry I bumped into you guys, it's just that I…"

"You stay out of this, bitch! I'm not done with you yet!" Tenten snarled.

Hearing those words also made Sakura's blood boil. Her face immediately changed from confused to anger. "Why you! First things first, I'm sorry I bumped into you. But I'm not going to forgive you for calling me names! Even if you're stronger than me, I'm not going to lose to you without a fight!"

Her opponent sneered. "Ooohhh, just watch me!"

Naruto stepped in-between them. "Stop it you guys! T, I already told you to stop! If Sasuke finds out about this, I don't know what hell he will put us through if you attack her…"

"Don't tell me you're going to side with that pink-haired ogre! I see, so she has charmed you!" The furious girl pointed a finger at him. First was Sasuke. Then Naruto? What the hell has gotten to her friends? She clenched her fists and spat at Sakura. "You snake-charmed my friends. Now there's a whole lotta reason for you to go down!" She snatched her hand back from Naruto's grip and charged towards Sakura.

Naruto raised a hand desperately for his friend then whined. "T! Don't be an anti-hero!"

Sakura tried not to giggle at the blonde's words. But there was no room for laughing when she dodged Tenten's punch. She sidestepped to avoid the other's girl's kick and she managed to push her away. Tenten accidentally slipped then fell backwards, her butt smacking on the cool concrete. The pink-haired girl watched her rise up then resumed attacking again.

She was still able to dodge Tenten's attacks when she began to feel a slight rustling. Her eyes went down to Koichi-kun who was beginning to open his eyes. "Oh no! Koichi-kun, he's waking up. What should I do?" she shushed the baby quietly, but not until she felt the other girl's fist connected with her cheek.

…………

"Sakura! Where did you go?" Ino muttered under her breath as she went out of the bookstore. Sakura suddenly disappeared and she had no idea where she was. Clutching her infant simulator close to her chest, she resumed searching for her friend when she bumped into a familiar face. "Oops! Sorry I didn't mean to bump into you." She looked up then smiled. "It's nice to see you here, Neji!"

Said guy raised an eyebrow. "Ino. What the heck are you doing here? And how dare you take that toy without even telling me!"

The blond stuck her tongue out. "Why should you care? You never even touched this baby since never! And don't even act like the man of the house since you never even tried to play your role right!"

One of the reasons why he never liked Ino was because she wanted to play the dominant role. This was the opposite of what he liked to do. "Don't try to make me mad woman." And apparently, it was sickening him. For once in his life, he asked help to this woman in order for him to patch things up with his girlfriend. But, as the day goes by, Ino did nothing but order him around like some kind of a dictator.

However, Ino ignored his threat. "You know, if Sakura were here, I'll tell her to stay away from you. You're nothing but a disrespectful cretin. But where is she now? Lost! And I can't even find her! So, I'm taking my leave now and continue my search for her." She turned on her heel to leave when the brown-haired Hyuuga grabbed her upper arm.

"Sakura's here!" Neji demanded.

Ino yanked her arm free. "Yes! But I don't know where she is so…hey! Where are you going! I'm not yet finished talking!"

Neji ignored her as he went on a search for his missing girlfriend.

…………

Sakura was slammed to the ground, her back hitting the floor. "Ow…" she winced, the pain radiating from her back to shoulder. But at least, Koichi-kun was unharmed. Tucking the baby securely in her arms, she sat up, only to be yanked by the hair by Tenten.

"I'm not yet done with you," she hissed in her ear. She raised her fist up high, ready to plant it on Sakura's cheek. "Because of you, my life was ultimately messed up. If you weren't around, it would've been better!"

Naruto's eyes widened. This was unbelievable! T had gone insane! "Don't, T!"

"Say buh-bye to your beautiful face, bitch!" And she brought her fist down with increased speed.

Sakura closed her eyes and prepared herself for the impact.

* * *

A/N: There you have it! Chapter 23 finished! Now if I could just have a small break… (Hears beta-reader's footsteps) Oh well, maybe not! Anyways, I couldn't resist putting that bitch fight into my story! Tenten needed something to turn her anger to and since she already wasted her energy on Naruto…

But don't worry dear readers! I know you guys are going to ask if Sakura's going to end up dead in the next chapter, well…we'll see.

As an added treat to all my dear readers, here's an excerpt from our next chapter. We're feeling kinda generous so we decided to suppress your thirst and hunger…

…………

"Do you like me?"

Sasuke stared at the girl in front of him. He was speechless and the plate he was about to rinse ker-plunked in the sink. She was now moving towards him and he stepped back, trying desperately to increase his comfort zone. It was a good thing Koichi was tucked in for the night or he would've used him to hit her with it. When his back hit solid wall, he knew he was trapped.

She giggled her voice like fluty melodic tunes. "You don't have to run away like that."

Actually, that's what he was planning to do right now. He raised a hand in front of her, a stop sign. "It's better if you keep away from me. I already told you this before and I have to say this again. Stay away from me."

Hurt sliced her but she didn't let it show. Even the way he said those words seemed familiar. But unfortunately, she couldn't remember where. But right now, she wanted to know the truth from the squirming male in front of her.

He was always there for her.

Even if she didn't asked for it, he would be there.

'_If only…if he only knew…'_

…………

There you have it! Is this going to be the turning point of the series? We'll see in the next chapter. And since I'm reaching the end of my note, I'm leaving you guys with another one of my mind-boggling questions. It's not much…really. Just two questions, since I'm quite generous today.

First question:

In the story, what will become of Sakura?

a. She will be beaten into a bloody pulp.

b. She will push Tenten back and kick her ass.

c. She uses Naruto as a human shield.

d. She will be saved.

e. Others: (you guys can create the answer)

Second question:

Sakura's thoughts of Sasukein the last part of the excerpt:

a. That he looked yummy.

b. That he looked like her stuffed bunny.

c. That he and the nerd boy looked alike in some ways.

d. That he made her fall for him without even realizing it.

e. Others: (I'm giving you guys the chance to give an answer!)


	24. Hell hath no fury than a Tenten scorned

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

A/N: Hisashiburi minna-san! Apparently, I've taken quite a long hibernation. School's still as bugging as always but hey, it's still fun. I want to apologize to our dear readers for the veeerryyy long delay in updating! But thanks to my beta-reader practically breathing down my neck, the story continues! Anyways, the latest chapter is finally here so let's all celebrate! Yay!

* * *

Chapter 24: Hell hath no fury than a Tenten scorned

* * *

**Recap:**

Sakura was slammed to the ground, her back hitting the floor. "Ow…" she winced, the pain radiating from her back to shoulder. But at least, Koichi-kun was unharmed. Tucking the baby securely in her arms, she sat up, only to be yanked by the hair by Tenten.

"I'm not yet done with you," she hissed in her ear. She raised her fist up high, ready to smash it on Sakura's cheek. "Because of you, my life was ultimately messed up. If only you are not around, it would've been better!"

Naruto's eyes widened. This was unbelievable! T had gone insane! "Don't, T!"

"Say buh-bye to your beautiful face, bitch!" And she brought her fist down with increased speed.

Sakura closed her eyes and prepared herself for the impact.

Naruto closed his eyes in order for him not to see Tenten beat the crap out of Sakura. When he didn't hear any cracking fists or blood curdling screams, he spread his fingers wide. As soon as he could finally see, he looked to where Tenten and Sakura were. Huge shock was clearly shown on his face.

"Uh-oh! I knew this would get worse!" he berated himself. Now he and Tenten would be in real trouble.

"I have to help!" Before he was about to set foot and help decrease the casualties, a hand grabbed his collar and raised him up a few feet off the air.

…………

She was expecting the blow that the other girl was about to give. She didn't know the cause of Tenten's anger. If there was something that she might have done to make the other girl mad she would've done something about it. But no, and now, she was being beaten for an offense that she didn't even know.

But…

She couldn't afford to lose in this fight.

And if she stood up and fought back?

Who knew what Tenten would do…?

So she decided not to fight…and just try to absorb the other girl's anger.

But the attack…never came.

Sakura opened her eyes.

And she gasped.

…………

"Put me down! Put me down!" Naruto yelled.

He was dropped to the ground. The blond teen rubbed his sore butt and glared at his attacker. "Couldn't you have dropped me a little nicer? You injured a hot guy's valuable asset!"

"Maybe if you didn't scream like a little girl then I might have considered."

"I-Itachi-san! How did you get in here?" Naruto immediately stood up upon seeing the other man's face. Itachi sighed heavily as he stared at the blond in front of him. He raised a brow.

"I see that we're having quite a dilemma here. Just when I thought ototou's problem was hard…seems like this one is the worse."

"Eh? Problem? Sasuke-chan has a problem?" Naruto's eyes brightened immediately at the mention of the other Uchiha's name. He turned his head around eagerly for signs of his friend. "Where is he? I knew that love won't keep us apart! Wherefore art thou, my Sasuke-chan?"

Itachi sweatdropped. But nonetheless he raised a finger and pointed where his brother was. Naruto followed the direction to where he was pointing. And the blonde sweat dropped as well when he finally caught sight of him. Sensing impending danger, well…it was already danger so all he had to do was to haul his ass off and get to him.

Still sighing, Itachi followed.

…………

A loud smack was heard in the quiet aisle.

Tenten froze.

Sakura gasped.

And a loud growl could be heard.

"Ow!"

Her face in a twisted frown, the brown-haired girl tried her best to retract her now-stiffening fist from its contact with a purpling cheek. Feeling a bit sheepish and embarrassed, she only glared at the person who suddenly went in-between her fight with Sakura. "What do you think you are doing? I don't remember you interfering with our fight!"

Said person rubbed his cheek. Behind him, Sakura whimpered. With the knowledge that he saved her again, she was going to add this one to her never-ending list of "I-owe-you's". She blindly reached for him, clutching his sleeve. "A-anou…she's right. You didn't have to jump in…"

To her surprise, he stared at her eyes and growled. "And let you get beaten into a bloody pulp? Not when I'm around." He placed a hand on her shoulder and bent towards her. "And not until you fix 'that' stupid mistake of yours."

She gulped then nodded anyways. She already knew what he meant by 'that' stupid mistake. When Koichi started to squirm, she cuddled him. Sakura was rewarded by soft Zzzss indicating that he was asleep. That settled she turned to watch the ongoing conversation between Tenten and her unmistakable knight-in-shining-armor.

With a purpling cheek.

…………

"Why did you have to do that?" Tenten demanded.

She was very angry, damn right.

Facing her and rubbing his cheek nonchalantly, the victim sighed. This was the second time he interfered and his infuriated friend didn't like it. However, he didn't care a damn of what Tenten thought. She was stepping rather illegally on his property and this time, he would make sure that she would learn her place. Wincing slightly at the pain in his cheek, he frowned at her.

"This has got to stop."

"What did you say?"

"I said this has to stop. Why the sudden madness, T? You're supposed to be calm. And picking a fight with Haruno is an unladylike thing to do."

Tenten went in a rage. Her? Mad? Unladylike? Her fist clenched and her jaw stiffened. Did he just side with that pink-haired hussy? She stomped towards him. "You called me unladylike? Gee, thanks a lot for that stupid display of gratitude!" She stopped in front of him and poked him angrily at the chest with her index finger. "And what about you? You chose her instead of me, your friend! Care to explain that, Sasuke?"

Sasuke did not say a word.

Instead, he stood firm and tall in front of Sakura. His coal-black stare bored into Tenten's own eyes, effectively keeping her in her place. Tenten tried her best not to fall under the spell of his evil stare. Even Medusa with her stone gaze would easily melt like butter under the Great Uchiha Sasuke's glare.

Focusing her gaze on Sasuke's black sneakers, she asked again. "Would you please care to explain yourself why you're choosing her instead of me, Sasuke?"

He shrugged. "I don't want you hurting people."

"That's bull! I know there's a reason behind your actions and I want to know it right now," she ranted. Oh how she wanted to smack the raven-haired Uchiha upside down and force him to see the truth. The foggy glasses he wore as a disguise must be affecting his eyesight. Or he was really born dense according to Professor Naruto's observations.

She stomped forward at him. "That hussy is Hyuuga Neji's girlfriend. And Hyuuga Neji is your rival! You're supposed to beat the crap out of your rival. But what's this? You're frolicking around with his girlfriend!" She pointed a finger accusingly at Sakura.

Sakura's eyes widened slightly. She was beginning to understand the rationale behind the other girl's behavior. She never noticed the slight tensing of the Uchiha's shoulder or the twitching of his right brow. She gulped at the realization. "I see…this girl is…"

On the other hand, Sasuke was annoyed. This wasn't supposed to take long, he had to rush back home fast or everything he worked up so far would vaporize in thin air. Casting a slight glance at the girl next to him, he was surprised to see a thoughtful look in her pale face. _'What the hell is this girl thinking? She was about to be reduced to nothing but yet she looks like she knows something that I don't.'_ he thought.

But then his eyes caught something unusual.

And then the air suddenly turned cold.

Extremely cold.

…………

Naruto was almost close to his goal when he accidentally tripped on spilled milk and fell face first onto the floor. "Itai!" he yelped as he rubbed his nose. Quickly, he whipped a mirror out of his pocket and inspected the bruise forming on his nose. "Oh no! What should I do? I can't face my Sasuke-chan like this! My beautiful and be-whiskered face! Now RUINED!" he whined as tears fell from his eyes like a fountain.

He heard a small sigh behind him. Itachi stared at his crumpled form and commented wryly. "I feel sorry for you, Naruto-kun. Your perfectly tanned complexion has been marred. But I think if you stay on the ground long enough, you'll miss a very good drama."

"What?" Naruto looked up and see his two friends engaged in a staring contest. From his vantage point, he could see Tenten's tense back and shoulders. Her fist curled hard and her expression…well, furious. And he could also see his Sasuke-chan's rigid posture. And as always, there was that unreadable expression pasted on his face.

But something was wrong.

Naruto squint his blue eyes to get a clearer look.

And he panicked.

'_Uh-oh! Now this is going to be even worse!'_ he screamed inwardly as he stood up and ran towards them. He knew that very 'look' and that same look might cause serious consequences. This was the second time he saw that look in the raven-haired Uchiha's eyes and no one, not even Tenten had seen it.

Well, except for him of course.

And he had to stop them.

Before one of them really gets hurt.

On the other hand…

Itachi clasped his hands together and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Aww…I forgot to buy popcorn! But I just can't afford to miss this!"

* * *

**A/N:** And there we go! The much awaited chapter! (Dodges stuff being thrown by the fans) Yup, we know! We know! We're gone for a long time and we want to apologize to the readers! We're very sorry for our disappearance. As you can see, my sister transferred to another country and well, i accompanied her until she adjusted. it's hard to be apart from her, and well, i keep close contact with my beta-reader so that the chapter will be done. yup, as it turns out everything is now taken care of!

Yup, and I have another announcement! As of this moment, I'm going to **take over** my sister's account for awhile! (TT) Yup, it turns out I'm also going to take over her works, you can check her out if you like. Her pen-name's **crimsonbutterfly21** and her works are specialized in Naruto and Tennis no Oji-sama. She's also a good writer, I highly recommend her fic **IZOU**. But since she has to focus in her work and studies, I'm going to continue her work. Wow, do you think I'm suited to write a drama and angsty fic? Anyways, sorry to leave you guys hanging again! But it's good to be back and reunited with my ever sadistic beta-reader. Yeah, I missed her a lot when I left. Missed her hitting me on the head all the time! LOL.

**B/N:** (Bonks author on the head) I do not hit you all the time! Please forgive us for not updating on time. I'm extending my apologies and gratitude to our faithful readers. I promise, next time I won't let him do sloppy work! But, please be patient with him minna-san, since he's going to continue his sister's fic and there's a possibility that updating will be slow. But don't worry, we'll give you updates in our profile. Until now, ja ne!

**A/N:** That's my line! Anyways, since you missed us very much, we have something for you! Yup, you guessed it! The dreaded question!

* * *

"Who will win? Tenten or Sakura?" and "Will Naruto be able to make it in time to save his Sasuke-chan?"

* * *

Anyone who can guess the answer will win a date with our Sasuke in his nerd outfit! Hey, it's better that way or you'll spend the rest of your date hiding and fending off jealous fangirls! Till then, ja ne!


	25. Much better than any chick flicks! Wink!

Disclaimer: Naruto not mine!

A/N: Hisashiburi minna-san. I know it's really been a long time since I updated this story. I apologize greatly to my dear readers. But now, don't fret! Here's the latest chapter. Don't forget to leave me a review and tell me what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 25:** Much better than any chick flicks! Wink! Wink!

* * *

**Flashback!**

"_Will you please care to explain why you're choosing her instead of me, Sasuke?"_

_He shrugged. "I don't want you hurting people."_

"_That's bull! I know there's a reason behind your actions and I want to know right now," she ranted. Oh how she wanted to smack the raven-haired Uchiha upside down and force him to see the truth. Maybe the foggy glasses he wore as a disguise must be affecting his eyesight. Or maybe he was really born dense according to Professor Naruto's observations._

_She stomped forward at him. "That hussy is Hyuuga Neji's girlfriend. And Hyuuga Neji is your rival! You're supposed to beat the crap out of your rival. But what's this? You're frolicking around with his girlfriend!" She pointed an accusing finger at Sakura._

_Sakura's eyes widened slightly. She was beginning to understand the rationale behind the other girl's behavior. She didn't notice the Uchiha's shoulder tensing slightly or his right brow twitching. She gulped at the realization. "I see…this girl is…"_

_On the other hand, Sasuke was annoyed. This wasn't supposed to take long, he had to rush back home. Everything that he worked up so far would vaporize in thin air. Casting a glance at the girl next to him, he was surprised to see a thoughtful look on her pale face. 'What the hell is this girl thinking? She is about to be reduced to nothing but yet she looks like she knows something that I don't.' he thought._

_Then his eyes caught something unusual._

_And the air suddenly turned cold._

…………

Sakura flinched.

She felt Sasuke's cold palm on her burning cheek. Her green eyes traveled hazily on his face. Only to find it hard and brr…ice-cold. '_Oh no_,' she squeaked. '_Something's wrong_.'

She couldn't point it out but there was something that angered Sasuke.

'_Why is he touching the pink-haired hussy?'_ Before she could try to answer what was puzzling her, Tenten broke the silence. "Sasuke! Answer me!"

Sasuke didn't pay any attention to her question. He focused instead on Sakura's cheek. He dropped a hand on her chin, angled it sideways and inspected the bruise. The young man grimaced at the purplish blot marring her pale face.

"What the hell happened here?" he demanded, seeing the bruise covered half of the pink-haired girl's face.

Sakura opened her mouth. "U-um…you see, Sasuke-san…I tripped and fell face first on the ground. Clumsy me, I guess…"

He snarled. Apparently, he knew she was bluffing. "This is no ordinary bruise, Haruno. And don't even try to invent another excuse. Bruises like these are not caused by stupid trips. This is intentional. Who did this to you?"

She didn't answer. If she told him that it was the brown-haired girl who hit her…no, she didn't want Sasuke-san to get angry at his friend. The reason why the other girl was angry at her because…

It was a futile attempt but she had to lie. "I already told you, Sasuke-san. I tripped and fell. It wasn't her fault, so please..."

Tenten cut her off. "I never asked for your help, bitch! And don't even try to kiss up to Sasuke or you'll be sorry!"

That was enough. Sasuke released his hold on Sakura's cheek then faced Tenten. The other girl cringed inwardly as she saw the unmistakable flash of anger in his onyx orbs. She kept herself steady. If he was going to defend the pink heathen then she would damn well make sure that she'd prove to him he was dead wrong in protecting her. Tenten braced herself for whatever attacks Sasuke would make.

She felt his footsteps getting closer. She clenched her fists, _'What the hell is this guy planning? Is he going to make me pay for smashing her cheek?'_

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw his fist clenched. _'Oh great, is he going to hit me in the same spot as that wench? I knew it; I can't believe he chose that vixen…over ME!'_

As she felt him raise his hand, she closed her eyes. She braced herself for the impact, knowing that his punch could pack a lot of wallop.

But no attack came. Instead, she felt a hand on top of her head and heard a sigh.

"Tsk, tsk. I'm guessing what you're thinking is that I'm going to hit you like what you did to Haruno."

She opened her eyes then blinked. Sasuke was looking down at her with that cool glare of his. She sucked in a breath. _'Damn, even in this angle he looks good.'_ Tenten glared at him, showing him that she wasn't deterred by his rather towering presence.

'_And here I thought that he's going to maul me!'_ she thought.

She demanded. "What are you're doing, Sasuke! You're confusing me. Don't tell me you're really going to defend that pathetic girl?"

He hissed. "Yes. I already told you before, T. Lay a hand on her and you will answer to me. Judging from that big purplish bruise on her cheek, there must be a big explanation coming from you…I'm waiting."

Tenten yanked his hand from her head. "That's a load of bull! Haven't you realized that that girl is going to give you problems in the near future? And you just…" she couldn't take it anymore. "…chose her above ME! And after I told you what I feel about you!"

That did it.

* * *

Silence suddenly filled the entire surrounding.

Sasuke blinked.

Itachi sighed dreamily.

Naruto cried.

Sakura's mouth gaped open. Her hands went up to cover her mouth, eyes wide. She just discovered something and she knew that her instincts weren't wrong. _'I knew it. That girl…she's really…'_

Suddenly, a loud sob broke her thoughts. The pink-haired girl turned her head around and sweatdropped on what she saw. A blond, blue-eyed guy had tears flowing from his eyes, cascading down his tanned cheeks. His hands are clasped together as though in prayer. He was muttering incoherent words but she could barely make out some of the words but she thought that she heard something like '_Sasuke-chan'_ and '_you_ _cheater_.'

Before Sakura could ask what his problem was, the blond guy zoomed past her and went straight to where Sasuke-san and the girl were. The poor girl blinked at the occurring events. "W-what the heck is going on…?" she asked herself, still watching the scene wherein the blond finally reached the two and yelled at the girl while um, hugged Sasuke in a rather protective way.

"Hmm…quite a bizarre love triangle don't you think?"

Sakura craned her neck sideways to find Itachi right next to her. She was too stunned at the events to even give a coherent reply. "U-um…yes…quite bizarre," she stammered.

The older Uchiha sibling smirked. "Yup. Maybe if you also include yourself in that scene over there, things would really get lively."

The girl blinked. "Huh? What did you say?"

Itachi laughed then replied in a nonsensical voice. "Nothing."

Sakura opened her mouth to ask more when Itachi shoved something in front of her face.

"Want some popcorn?"

…………

"How dare you steal a scene with Sasuke-chan, you cheater! I thought we are best friends and that we're going to share!" Naruto ranted, still encasing Sasuke in a tight grip. Tenten's brown eyes turned big as saucers. Her fists clenched tightly on either side of her. She pointed an accusing finger at Naruto.

"Let go of Sasuke, you perverted kitsune!" she snarled.

Naruto gave a low laugh and much to everyone's and Sasuke's horror, rubbed himself against the other boy's body. "No way! I wanna snuggle up against a warm body! And I particularly wanna snuggle up against Sasuke-chan's body!"

Sasuke tried to extract himself from the blond's clutches. "You…dobe! Get the hell off of me, or I'll kill you!"

"You're so mean Sasuke-chan! And after rushing here to offer you my aid, you're going to push me away? I'm hurt!" Naruto replied sweetly.

This made the Uchiha cringe. He placed a hand flat on Naruto's chest and with enough force, pushed the blond away from him. Naruto fell down on his butt on the floor and Tenten snickered loudly. But Sasuke glared at her so she immediately stopped. Raking a hand through his hair, he sighed.

"I don't believe this. I thought you guys are supposed to trust me on this. Instead of making it easier for me, you made it worse. You even caused casualties. What's next? Get my cover blown?" he whispered to his two friends.

"No! That's not the reason why we're doing this!" Tenten argued.

Naruto piped in. "Correction: It's not We. But you, T."

She bonked him hard on the head. "You shut your mouth, foxface!"

Sasuke sighed.

The two immediately shut their mouths. They didn't want to deal with an angry Uchiha anyway.

Sasuke gave his friends a scary glare. "Look, I'm going to say this once, so both of you should listen well." Tenten and Naruto nodded almost eagerly. The raven-haired man leaned closer so that his face was inches away from theirs. With a loud squeal, Naruto puckered his lips for a kiss but Tenten smacked her fist on his face.

Ignoring their antics, Sasuke hissed dangerously. "I don't know why you guys are acting like idiots but when it comes to dealing with Haruno, don't interfere. If I find out that you're standing in my way again, I'll dispose the two of you. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear Sasuke-chan!" Naruto answered, making a peace sign. Turning to Tenten, Sasuke didn't notice the unmistakable anger in her brown eyes. The girl huffed, instead of responding to Sasuke's question.

Satisfied with their responses, Sasuke turned on his heel and walked away from them. Naruto chased after him, and grabbed his arm. The other boy flinched when he saw the blond's apparently love-struck eyes.

Now he truly doubted Naruto's gender. "What do you want now, dobe?"

"Where are you running off to now, Sasuke-chan?" the blond asked sweetly.

He didn't answer. His gaze was locked on his wife, who was still in a daze and was being talked to by his older brother. Still without a word, he yanked his arm off of Naruto's grip. The other boy whined and still pined after him but Sasuke walked so fast that he reached Sakura's side in record time.

Itachi looked up, seeing his ototou's grim expression. "Why the long face, ototou?" he asked.

Sasuke didn't say a word. Grabbing Sakura's arm, he began dragging her far away from his brother and his friends. He wanted, no, needed a word with her right then and there. Before they could make a successful getaway, a loud voice boomed coming from behind them.

"UCHIHA!"

* * *

Everyone turned their heads around to find an irate Hyuuga Neji stomping towards them. Immediately, Tenten and Naruto stepped aside remembering Sasuke's words not to get involved. Itachi just smirked and continued eating his popcorn as Neji made his way to his younger brother whose disposition was getting worse by the minute. On the other hand, Sakura cowered behind the younger Uchiha, knowing how violent her boyfriend was with the way he dealt with those people who try to stand in his way.

Gazing up at Sasuke's face, she was amazed that he was unaffected by the dangerous aura Neji was throwing his way. He just stood there, back facing her, shielding her from her boyfriend's gaze. Sasuke was already aware of Neji's temper and he wouldn't want, especially the naïve girl behind him to suffer the other guy's rage. After making sure that Sakura's safe behind him, the raven-haired teen faced his rival who finally stopped in front of them.

Hyuuga seethed. "Step aside Uchiha."

Sasuke only glared. Sakura whimpered behind him.

Neji tried to make his way past Sasuke but the other wouldn't let him. "Move, Uchiha!" He snarled as he made a grab for his girlfriend. Sasuke continued blocking his way. His temper was beginning to wear super thin.

The Uchiha replied cockily. "Don't ever use that tone against me, or you're going to get it."

His longtime rival smirked at his response. "Ever the feisty one, aren't we? If you want me to get out of the way, better hand over what's mine." Staring at his cowering girlfriend who was looking at him through Sasuke's shoulder, he glared at her. "Come over here, Sakura-chan."

When Sakura didn't move, he snarled. "I SAID GET OVER HERE!"

The pink-haired girl trembled at her boyfriend's tone. She released her hold on Sasuke's sleeve then walked slowly towards Neji. The Hyuuga gave a triumphant smirk seeing the Uchiha scowled in defeat. He raised a hand out to her and before Sakura could place her hand on his upturned palm, she was grabbed by the arm and yanked back to Sasuke's side.

Panic rushed to her entire body. "Sasuke-san, it's okay. Please don't get in the way. Actually, I have to get going too. I have a partner who's waiting for me back at the dormitory. I don't want him to get worried."

Sasuke's onyx orbs darkened even more after hearing her words. She was right. He already stepped way beyond the borders. For the first time, he was actually concerned for the whiny pink-haired girl who seemed to be more than willing to suffer under Neji's fury. If he allowed her to go with the spoiled Hyuuga, all his efforts in protecting her would be in vain. And besides, wasn't it about time she started to pay all her debts to him?

His grip on her arm tightened and to Sakura's horror, he smirked.

"No."

* * *

"**WHAT??"**

Everyone including Neji cried out upon hearing his answer.

Tenten's eyes turned to slits. "Are you out of your mind? You're getting way out of your league, Sasuke! What the hell's wrong with you? Just give Hyuuga his girl already!"

Even Naruto agreed. He was holding Tenten by the waist, preventing her from jumping on Sakura and mauling her to shreds. "T's right, Sasuke-chan. We don't want to interfere but from the way things are going, the problem's just gonna be turned to something personal. Let Sakura-chan go."

Itachi yawned. Obviously, his dimwitted brother was ruining the entire drama. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ino looking around, searching for something. When the blond girl faced their direction, her eyes lit up and ran towards them.

"Sakura!" she entered the scene and gasped. "What is going on here? I've been looking all over for you and I just ran into your violent boyfriend! Oh and here he is!" Ino was about to make her way to her friend when she suddenly noticed a familiar raven-haired guy next to her. Her cheeks instantly flushed and her eyes turned to hearts.

"Oh my God! You're Uchiha Sasuke!! I can't believe you're here!!" She shrieked out loud. She slithered her way towards Sasuke's side and gave him a sugar-coated grin. "I can't believe this! The no.1 pinup idol of Konoha is here!!"

Sasuke groaned but still held Sakura's arm. Great. Another fangirl.

Naruto and Tenten rolled their eyes while Itachi covered his snicker with a hand. Sasuke tried to make his way past Ino but the obnoxious fan continued to follow him. "Sasuke-kuuuunnnnn!!" Ino drawled as she latched on Sasuke's other arm. Sakura immediately noticed his discomfort. "Anou…Ino-chan, I think it's better if you don't disturb Sasuke-san…"

Ino glared at her friend. "Quiet, Sakura! Don't be selfish! Sasuke-kun is meant for the world so you have no choice but to share!"

"Sasuke-san is not an object! He's human just like the rest of us!" Sakura protested.

"All right! That's enough!" Neji growled. Both girls stopped and sweatdropped to find that they attracted quite a huge crowd. An all-girl "We love Sasuke!" crowd.

Uh-oh.

"**SASUKE-KUUUUUUUNNNNN!!"**

Before they knew it, the sound of thundering footsteps and the mad dashes of fans running towards their favorite idol could be heard. Ino's eyes widened, knowing that it was her loud declaration of affection for Sasuke that revealed his location. Sakura paled, with Koichi waking up and starting to wail.

As for Neji, he got trampled by the female horde that was now getting closer. Tenten and Naruto already ran off for safety, carrying their baby with them. Sasuke wasted no time and immediately freed himself from Ino's grasp. Still holding Sakura's arm, he dragged her along with their baby to save themselves from the wrath of his obsessive fans.

The crowd screamed as they followed their idol. In their rush, they left the supermarket in shambles. The owner of the supermarket howled in despair seeing his business reduced into nothing more than crushed goods. The poor man felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to find Itachi smiling at him.

"I apologize for the trouble my brother has caused. For that, I'll pay for the damages that his fans caused. Just don't press charges against my brother,"

The shop owner nodded eagerly. Itachi smirked as he fished a checkbook from his pocket, wrote the amount and gave it to him. Picking up his purchases, he set off knowing that Sasuke was already waiting for him at their rendezvous point. Earlier, he and Sasuke devised a plan on how to shake his rabid fan girls and decided on where to meet up in case this happens.

"At least this one is better than those chicks flicks at home!" he mused as he went on his way.

* * *

**A/N:** And there you have it! Ta-da!! (Runs away from the readers) I know, I know!! We've been under hiatus for so long!! Please forgive us!! Anyways, haha, the next chapter's also going to come up soon. My beta-reader and I have to settle our arguments and silly disputes aside so that we'll be able to post the new one as soon as possible. So you guys have to spare my life this time...

Yup, and good news! There would be no questions at this chapter! It'll be on the next one which will be full of surprises and shocking revelations. Thanks to the support of our dear readers, without you guys this fic will never be able to go on. Unless, you want to make Sasuke stay as a nerd forever that is. Till then, ja matte ne! See ya guys on the next chapter!!

**B/N: **Oh, don't forget to tell us what you guys think of the chapter! You can give us suggestions or comments if you want. Apparently our author is suffering from severe writer's block. Let's help him out shall we? Matta iru ne!


	26. Tea time with the Uchihas

**Disclaimer:** Naruto not mine. I'm just reminding you.

**A/N:** Hisashiburi-desu minna-san! It's me, hakujou no sakeme. Here's the edited version of Chapter 26. We finally worked the kinks out and we're currently finalizing the next chapter. Please enjoy! ^o^

* * *

**Chapter 26: Tea time with the Uchihas**

**

* * *

**

"Where is he??"

"Did you find him?"

"Wherefore art thou Sasuke-kun??"

"SASUKE-KUUUUUNNNNN!!!"

Fan girls searched left and right for any signs of their missing idol. The faction split into three groups: one group inside the mall, the second at the supermarket and the rest, at the parking lot. The search went on for another hour and when there was no still no sign of Sasuke, they decided to call it quits.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the mob left. They were hiding behind the bushes to avoid detection from his fan club. He glanced at his partner, still shocked from the events. She didn't even hear Koichi's cooing voice, finally waking up from his slumber. Not wasting any time, he grabbed Sakura and Koichi and towed them towards the black convertible.

"Yes!" he cheered as he got the door open.

He turned to Sakura. "What're you standing there for? Hurry up and get in."

"………."

"Oi! I said get in!"

"………."

He pushed the dazed girl inside the car then took his place at the driver's seat. Putting the key into ignition, the raven-haired boy sighed in satisfaction as the engine fired up immediately. All he has to do is to wait for Itachi to get in the car and vroom back to safety. Minutes passed and there was still no sign of his brother anywhere.

Did he get mauled by the girls too?

"Stupid 'nisan! Serves him right for doing his girly stuff at a time like this!" the young man muttered under his breath.

Not long after his brother came into view, plastic bags on each hand. Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance when he got inside the car. "You're late."

"Tsk, tsk. I claimed our bags at the baggage counter, my uptight little brother. You caused a ruckus in the supermarket." the older Uchiha answered flippantly. His brother snorted in response and put the car in reverse.

"It wasn't my fault."

"So you say. Now drive us home."

Sasuke smirked then backtracked out of the parking lot. The trip home was quiet except for Koichi's simpering sounds. Glancing at his passengers, he saw his oh-so vain brother staring at his fingernails ands Sakura was well, bowled over. Sighing, he turned his attention back on the road when something hit him. He pulled the car to a halt.

Itachi didn't even look nor was surprised at the sudden stop. Sakura hit her head at the window. "Ow!" she exclaimed, rubbing her forehead. Koichi giggled, finding his mother in pain amusing for him.

"Nisan," he began, annoyed that his brother continued picking on his nails. "She can't stay with us."

His brother sighed. "You always come up with the good solutions. You tell us what to do."

"What?! I…nevermind," Sasuke blubbered then kept his mouth shut. Driving and arguing at the same time was not a good idea. For now, he'll just concentrate on getting back to Itachi's house.

Home was probably the safest place for them now.

* * *

**Konoha Academy**

**In the dorms…**

"Whew, I'm beat!" Naruto slumped against the sofa. Tenten placed Sachi next to him and headed for the kitchen. She opened the fridge and pulled out a baby bottle. By the time she got back, the blond lad was playing with the infant simulator. Sachi giggled, bouncing up and down on her father's lap.

"Here." Tenten said, offering the bottle. Naruto grinned, taking it and feeding their daughter.

The two sat in silence until she spoke. "I wonder how Sasuke is doing."

"Nah, who knows? Hyuuga's raging bull temper is no match for Sasuke's destructive behavior. I'm still shaking in my shoes whenever I remember that time he and Hyuuga fought," Naruto answered, still coddling Sachi.

Still fuming over the events in the grocery, the pigtailed girl sighed. Sasuke chose Neji's weak girlfriend over them. Meaning, he chose that girl over her. What did he see in her anyway? She wasn't that pretty. She has weird pink hair, pale complexion and bright green eyes.

She was nothing more but a whining bitch.

_What does she have that I don't?_

Sachi cooed and giggled as Naruto tickled her sides. He grinned then glanced at his partner who seemed to be preoccupied with her thoughts. He nudged her on the shoulder. "Hey, you okay? Sachi needs some motherly affection from you."

Tenten waved a hand dismissively. "She likes you more than me."

Naruto shook his head. "That's not the point." He patted Sachi's back tenderly then continued. "We're in this whole thing together. And from the looks of things you're busy thinking about something. Or someone."

The girl glared at him. He only batted his eyelashes in an innocent manner. "Don't try to fool me. You're ultimately smitten to Sasuke-chan's charm! Admit it, I know you do."

"So what if I am?" Tenten crossed her arms. "It's not like Sasuke's going to notice me anyway! I already told him what I felt and yet he chose that girl over me!"

Naruto patted her head. "I understand how you feel, T. But we promised not to mess with Sasuke's affairs. He's going to get our heads if we do it again." The baby fussed in his arms. He stood up. "I'll just put Sachi-chan in her crib."

Tenten nodded her head as he left the room.

* * *

**Uchiha house**

Itachi ushered Sakura inside while Sasuke parked the car. The tiny girl felt home instantly, stepping inside the house. Koichi slept soundly in her arms and was about to put him on the couch when she caught Itachi's bemused gaze. She flustered. "Um…is there something wrong, Itachi-san?"

Instead of a reply, he chuckled. "My, my, my. You couldn't possibly allow my cybernetic nephew to sleep on the couch. What if he contracts a virus?" He snatched the baby off her hands and walked towards the end of the hallway. The pink-haired girl followed him to a room and saw him putting the baby in bed.

"Now let's leave while the baby's sleeping," he whispered quietly, ushering her out of the door.

"Anou, Itachi-san. Koichi is not Sasuke-san's child. He's an infant simulator who can recognize his parents by means of their voices. The only voices he responds to are mine and Suke-san's," Sakura told Itachi as they head back to the living room.

"Okay. So can you explain to me why the baby responds to my brother's voice?" Itachi asked plaintively.

"I…I thought the baby was programmed to instantly recognize his parents' voices by means of their voices and touch. I have no idea why," she answered quietly.

Like him, she was also confused. The supermarket incident didn't help either. Worse, he couldn't demand explanation from Sasuke right now. He seemed ticked off from being called "Daddy" by a robotic infant and saving her from Neji's fury. Stepping on his territory was a big no-no. His friends didn't even dare to stop them from getting at each other's throats.

Was the overly popular Uchiha Sasuke actually on equal footing with Hyuuga Neji?

She blinked when she felt Itachi's hand on her shoulder. "Come, you must be very hungry. I apologize for what my brother had done this time. He didn't mean to take you away from your boyfriend. It's just that he knows more about Neji-kun's homicidal tendencies than you seem to think," he explained.

Sakura nodded. She was still baffled but she chose not to ask.

The front door opened and Sasuke went inside. He caught the two staring bizarrely at him.

"What?" he asked.

Itachi smirked. "Sakura-san and I are hungry. Go and make dinner."

His brother glared at him. "M-me? But I just drove you guys home!"

"But your cooking tastes way better than mine."

Fuming, Sasuke headed for the kitchen. Sakura sat down on the sofa, relieved of not seeing his irritated expression. Itachi also went to the kitchen and came back with steaming mugs of hot tea. "Here, I'm not sure if you're a fan of this. It's tea." The pink-haired girl accepted the mug with heartfelt thanks. He seated himself next to her and sipped his drink.

She stared at the pale bland liquid. The soothing aroma of the tea filled her nostrils. She sipped her drink and her eyes widened. The tea was warm and delicious!

'Wow, Itachi-san sure knows the right amount of sweetness. This is no ordinary tea! Its milk tea with a splash of honey!' she gushed. Milk tea was her favorite drink in the whole wide world! The girl happily sipped her drink, letting the liquid burn her tongue.

Amused at her reactions, Itachi chuckled. "So, how's the tea?"

Kami-sama, she was close to tears because of the taste. "Yes! I love it. Milk tea with honey is my favorite!"

He chuckled. "Wow. I thought it was just my imagination. Good thing you like milk tea. At first I didn't like the taste but after putting a dollop of honey and a few drops of mint, it's actually quite good."

Sakura gulped on her tea. "R-really? But it's delicious. It has the right amount of sweetness."

"Yeah, but I'm not the one who's the expert in tea making." Itachi winked.

Her eyes grew twice as their normal sizes. She almost dropped the mug on the floor. "Y-You mean to say…the one who made this tea is…"

Itachi finished his tea. "Sasuke."

She gaped. "H-How? That's so unlike him!"

He chuckled. "I understand. I guess you still don't know him that well. After all, the two of you just met. And according to him, he would wind up in weird situations whenever he's with you."

"I…I have no idea. It just happens. Whenever Sasuke-san and I meet, he's always in a bad mood. Most likely because I was the one who caused problems between him and Neji-kun," she blushed.

"I see. And you don't know the reason is, right?"

"Yes."

He was enjoying his time tarnishing his brother's reputation.

"Do you want to know why?" he asked slyly.

Sakura blushed.

He gave her a cocky smile. "Guess not. Wait here, I'll just see how our chef's doing."

"Umm…okay."

* * *

**In the kitchen…**

'Hmm…good,' Sasuke thought, as he tasted his dish. He turned off the stove and removed the pot. Itachi entered the kitchen and gave a whiff. "That smells great. Sukiyaki?" he asked.

"Yup," his brother answered, ladling the soup into three bowls. Itachi tried to sneak a taste on the soup when his hand got smacked by a ladle. "Stop that! If you wanna eat now then set the table. I don't want your grubby hands touching my dish!" Sasuke exclaimed, moving the bowl away from his brother's hands.

Itachi rubbed his sore hand. He then went to the cupboard and took out plates and utensils. Setting the table, he gave Sasuke a knowing look. "You gave the poor girl quite a scare this afternoon. She thought the rift between you and Neji was her entire fault."

The lad stiffened as he put rice on bowls. "I don't know what she's talking about."

"Oh, I don't know. Why take her home with us when you can simply drop her off at school? Her husband must really be worried sick about her." Itachi mused. He smirked as he heard a ker-plunk!

Sasuke literally dumped the empty pot in the sink. "Have you lost your mind? Drop her off at school? Husband worrying about her?!! Hello, I'M HER HUSBAND!" When he saw Itachi's eyes widen, he coughed then added, "Ehrm…I mean, husband on that school project."

His brother laughed out loud. "You're sooo cute, Sasuke-chan. For a moment there, I thought you were a lovesick Romeo pining for his Juliet. Fine, she's your wife for your school project. Regardless of the fact, YOU married her during your school festival. And I have solid proof of that marriage in my computer."

He threw the ladle at his brother's direction.

Itachi avoided it easily. "You're such a sourpuss. Sakura-san will not like you any longer if you continue on being one."

Sasuke crossed his arms and stuck his tongue.

* * *

**7:00 PM**

The soft tick-tock of the clock caused Sakura to wake up. "W-What happened?" She looked around and realized that she slept on the sofa. Hugging a throw pillow, she mumbled. "Mmm…this is so nice. I want to stay like this for a long time."

"Mammmeee!" A small voice whined, breaking up the silence.

She was still trapped in her own dreamland. "Nnh…what's that voice? It sounds like Koiichi-kun…"

Her eyes snapped wide open. "KOICHI-KUN!" She then rushed to the room to where the baby is.

Sure enough, Koichi was there. He was lying on his back on the bed. He wiggled his tiny arms and legs, as he heard his mother's voice. Sakura smiled, picking Koichi up and nuzzling his cheek. "My poor widdle baby. Did you miss Mommy? I'm sure you did!" The simulator answered her with a high-pitched squeal.

Cuddling Koichi, she paced around the room. "I'm relieved to see you're okay, Koichi-kun but I wonder how daddy is doing. We have to call him after dinner so he wouldn't get worried." She looked around the room and sighed. It was definitely a boy's room. Everything from the navy blue wallpaper and the furniture was spic and span.

"Itachi-san sure is a neat person. Everything is in their proper place," she mused.

But before she could gather her thoughts, the door opened. "Oh! Itachi-san! I'm sorry to barge in but I can't help but look in your room. It's so clean!" Upon saying it, she turned around to face him.

Her jaw dropped and her cheeks turned into deeper shades of red.

And Koichi-kun made happy and loud squeaky noises.

Which wasn't helping her at all.

Uh-oh.

Wrong person.

…………

Itachi is grinning from ear-to-ear.

'_Now this was nice_', he mused as he stared at the two people sitting across the table. Sipping his tea, he gave Sakura a small smile. "Are you all right, Sakura-san? You look so uptight." He glanced at his younger brother who was eating in a hurry.

"Is my dear brother bothering you?" he asked.

Sasuke choked on his food and Sakura shook her head. "Uhm…no, not really."

The older Uchiha sighed as he picked salmon with his chopsticks. "I see. And here I thought he was glaring at you to death." He put one in his mouth and chewed. "Ototou, that sashimi will not turn to mush even if you glare at it."

The tensed boy averted his gaze. He gave him a dark look. "May I ask why I have to stay the night HERE? More importantly," he added with annoyance laced in his tone. "Why does SHE have to stay TOO?"

Itachi rolled his eyes. "You told us yourself. She IS your wife. And should a husband abandon his wife especially at a time like this?"

"I'm not her husband!" Sasuke fired back.

Sakura bit her lower lip.

Sensing her discomfort, Itachi waved a hand dismissively. "Sasuke. As a full-bloodied male, you should be able to do this task without having me wring your neck."

"But…"

"No buts. It's already decided. Now finish eating and don't forget to wash the dishes."

Sasuke didn't say anything. He resumed eating.

After listening to the entire conversation, Sakura chose not to interfere. She was a burden to them---to Sasuke's case. And now, Itachi's decision had caused another gap between the two of them. She quickly finished her meal and darted back to Sasuke's room.

Koichi might be in need of a diaper change.

* * *

**9:30 PM**

Koichi slept fitfully this time.

Sakura sighed in relief that she didn't need to change his diaper. Tossing the unused diaper back in the bag, she looked at the clock in the bedside table. "30 minutes before 10. I wonder if Suke-san is sleeping right now," she mused. Flipping her cell phone, she dialed Suke's number then placed it next to her ear. Ringing sounds could be heard from the other line and after the 10th ring, the pink-haired girl hung up.

"Not answering? He must've gone to bed early," she mused. She glanced at Koichi and smiled. 'This is a perfect chance for me to go exploring,' she thought playfully. She tiptoed from the bed and quietly went out of the room.

…………

10 missed calls.

Sasuke sighed, slipping his phone back in his pocket. He needs to focus his attention in doing his duty---that is, washing the dishes. He plopped the dishes in the sink after scrubbing them. After rinsing them dry, he stacked them neatly inside the cupboard. Then again, thoughts of the previous call plagued his mind.

'_Why in the hell would she call me at this time?'_ he thought.

Giving her his cell number was a wrong move. The only reason he gave her that was because they need to communicate with each other for their school project. "That dumb brother of mine! If he thinks he's getting his way this time, I'll make sure that he had another one coming!" he grumbled, closing the cupboard.

Finally, he was done. He was now wiping the sink when he heard footsteps. Shrugging his shoulders in a casual manner, he resumed wiping the counter.

"Sasuke-san?"

His eyebrow shot up, seeing Sakura in the kitchen. "What the hell are you doing here in the kitchen Haruno?"

The girl squeaked. "I-I'm sorry, Sasuke-san! I didn't mean to startle you. I was just looking around."

He didn't say a word. Once again, the uncomfortable feeling nagged his brain. The girl stirred up memories of their past encounter. Cursing, he turned his attention to his work. Sakura just looked at him. Silence filled the room which unfortunately, was bad for Sasuke's taste.

He decided to break the silence.

"Something on your mind, Haruno?" he asked.

She yelped in surprise and bumped her arm against the table. "Uh…it's nothing! I was just…"

"Big deal. If there's something that you wanted to say, say it right now," he retorted as he tossed the rag on the sink.

The girl fidgeted nervously under his gaze. Finally, she looked at him. "Anou, Sasuke-san…"

"What?" he asked.

Her green eyes were shining, as though she discovered something big about him. "Sasuke-san, I was wondering…" she began, her voice laced with curiosity.

He shifted to one side. "What is it?"

She smiled, closing the distance between the two of them. "I just wanted to say…"

Kami-sama, she's gonna kill him. "Say what?"

She squealed in delight. "I just wanted to say that I love the milk tea you made earlier! It was the best tea I had ever tasted!"

There was a long silence or rather; a heavy curtain of depression fell above their heads. Sasuke's heart didn't skip a beat. Yet, he sighed in relief. She made no mention of suspicions about his alter ego or whatsoever. The suspense was going to kill him someday. Despite the suspense and the near-heart attack, a tiniest hint of a smile made its way across his face.

Itachi was right.

She was a fascinating girl.

And she likes milk tea.

"Do you want a cup of milk tea?" he asked her.

Her eyes went wide. She bobbed her head up and down in excitement. "Yes!"

He smirked. "Okay."

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Itachi went back to Sasuke's room to check up on his ward, only to find out that she wasn't there.

'_I wonder where she went. I'll just put the PJ's here,'_ he said to himself, placing the clothes on the bedside table.

He saw Koichi sleeping peacefully on the bed. The infant simulator was life-like with its small chubby fingers and cute round face. To think the principal would draw funds for a high-class technology such as this in Home Economics, what an amazing improvement.

"Unbelievable. Before, we used flour sacks to act as babies. If we drop even a single speck of flour, we get a D. Hmm…I wonder if…" he trailed off as he continued watching the baby.

Suddenly, an idea hit him.

………….

"How is it?"

"Mm-mm! It's delicious!"

"……….."

"Is something wrong, Sasuke-san?"

"Er, nothing."

The two of them were hanging out in the kitchen drinking milk tea. Sakura happily sipped her drink while Sasuke enjoyed his own cup. The milky sweet aroma wafted throughout the room and it gave a sense of utter satisfaction. To Sakura at least, who seemed to be content with just a simple cup of tea.

She stared at the Uchiha who drank the concoction as if it was water. He caught her staring at him.

She giggled.

He glared. "What are you snickering at?"

"Um…it's nothing! It's just you looked so funny earlier."

Sasuke crossed his arms as he continued to glare at her. "It's not something you have to laugh about."

"I'm sorry," she apologized ruefully.

Instead of getting annoyed, he sighed. He raised a hand then patted Sakura on the head. The pink-haired girl blushed. Amused, he cocked his head to one side. "You know, you're pretty weird for a girl."

Now that was unexpected. "I-I'm weird?"

Sasuke raised a hand dismissively. "No need for an explanation. You're weird."

Her jade eyes widened. "Weh? That's not fair! Why not???"

He flicked her on the forehead. "Simple. It's because you're weird."

"Eh! That's mean! You're so mean, Sasuke-san!" She stuck her tongue at him.

He smirked as he watched her fume in irritation. It was sooo nice to get back at her for a change. Seeing her cheeks puffed out like a balloon…it was a funny sight. It makes him want to poke her cheeks with a needle and watch her shrivel like a stalk. That'll make her even prettier.

Wait a sec…prettier?

Sasuke blinked and looked at Sakura again. She was still pouting like a sour tomato.

Weird… and yet attractive.

What the hell?

He blinked again. Since when did she look so pretty? Her puffy cheeks and that pouting expression…oh man, it's supposed to be funny. But in some cases…it really made her attractive. Well, to him. He has no idea what Neji saw in her. She was annoying, she did nothing but cause him trouble.

But he couldn't blame her. It wasn't her fault.

Though that puffy cheek thing looked tempting, he couldn't resist touching it.

"Wait! Wha…?" Sakura exclaimed as Sasuke placed his palms on either side of her cheeks. The air whooshed out of her mouth. "W-Wait…what is going on? This isn't the reason I'm looking for!" she blurted out, her arms flailing wildly in the air.

"Be quiet, Haruno."

"But…!"

"I said be quiet! Geez, don't make me repeat myself!" Okay, now he's annoyed. She's the only girl who really brought out the worst in him. At least Tenten knows when to step out of his way whenever he's angry. The attraction he felt earlier was quickly replaced with growing irritation. Seriously, this girl can disperse a good atmosphere in less than a second.

But, she's still cute.

Yeah.

Cute.

WTF?

Am I having a nightmare?

He pinched her cheeks.

Hard.

"OWWWW!!!!!" Sakura yelped in pain. "That hurt!!!"

Sasuke immediately released her cheeks.

She put her hands up her face. He blinked then realized that it wasn't a dream. He was getting attracted to her and that was scary. He brought his hands to her face again. She looked up at him and he leaned down.

Closer….and closer….

"SASUKE!!!!!!!"

They both jumped in surprise as they saw Itachi burst inside the room. The older Uchiha was panting heavily, his eyes huge. In his arms, Koichi was giggling. Sasuke raised a brow. "Is there a problem, 'nisan?"

Itachi tensed. "Um…yeah. Actually, you guys would need to sit down because you're not gonna like it…"

"Just spill it 'nisan." Sasuke rolled his eyes. His day was already ruined; surely this one wouldn't even shake his wits off. Sakura on the other hand was suspicious. What did Itachi-san meant by they're not going to like it?

To answer her question, the baby squealed happily. Well there's nothing new about that. Koichi's still being his usual self…

"Dadeeee!!!!"

Both teens stared wildly at the Koichi who seemed to have sprouted a new head. Sasuke didn't move, actually couldn't move at all. What the heck was going on? Infant simulators were supposed to be programmed to respond by their parent's voices and touch. But this one was different! He turned to Sakura, only to find her passed out on the floor. Muttering curses under his breath, he bent down and scooped her off the floor. Itachi was still holding the baby who was beginning to become annoying by the second.

"Dadeee!!! Dadeeee!!! Dadeeee!!!"

The pink-haired girl woke up to find herself in Sasuke's arms. She looked at her surroundings and saw her baby. She smiled but it was gone the moment Koichi waved and yelled the words "Daddeeee!!! Dadeee!!!" H-How was that possible? Suke-san is supposed to be Koichi-kun's daddy! How come Koichi-kun called Sasuke-san and Itachi-san his daddies?

Does that mean…she cheated on Suke-san????

NOOOOOOOO!

Sasuke felt Sakura's body give way and looked down to see her unconscious again. He sweatdropped.

'_This is going to be one heck of a night….'_

_

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_

A/N: And there you have it! I'm very sorry for the late posting! Lots of catching up to do with school and stuff. Please don't kill me!!! Ehem, anyways time for the next question! We missed giving you guys questions at the end of the chapter so now, here we go!

"What will happen to Koichi?"

a. He'll get dismantled.

b. He'll get fixed.

c. He'll spill the beans about Sasuke's identity.

B/N: Stay tuned for our next chapter! Ja ne! minna-san! ^o^


	27. Daddy or no Daddy?

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi!

**A/N:** Hello guys! Hakujou-no-sakeme here with the next chapter of Yokoso! I'm very sorry for the two-year delay (avoids paper balls being thrown by the readers)! I almost declared this story under hiatus since my beta reader and I have parted on our own ways (teary-eyed) but our tandem will not be broken. So, please enjoy this humble offering of yours truly.

Don't forget to leave a review! Much appreciated!

* * *

**Chapter 27: Daddy or no Daddy?**

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* * *

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"DADDEEE! DAAADDEEE!"

Huge eyes stared back at the wiggling infant simulator. Sakura regained her consciousness and couldn't believe what she was seeing. Even Sasuke was stunned as he supported her. More like carrying her.

Koichi was in the arms of the great Uchiha Itachi.

Along with the lines of…

"DAADDDEEEEE! DDDAAAADDDEEEEE!"

Ye Gods, Koichi was a fickle child! The little midget chose another daddy!

Which makes Sakura…A two-timing mom? NO! Koichi also called Sasuke his daddy too. Would that mean she cheated on Suke-san with two men?

KYAAAHHHH!

"K-Kami-sama…how did this happen?" she mumbled.

On the other hand, Sasuke was fuming. What in the hell's going on? Even though it was only a school project, he couldn't afford his kid to have another daddy. It was no longer a simple case of bad parenting.

But Sakura had other ideas…

"How am I going to explain this to Suke-san? He's not going to forgive me if I tell him this!" she cried out.

Sasuke stared at her annoyingly. "What are you mumbling about?"

His eyebrow twitched as he saw her watery eyes and puffy face. His fetish of seeing her weird reaction was acting up again. He coughed. "What's wrong, Haruno?"

She bawled. "Sasuke-san! If Koichi thinks that you and Itachi-san are his daddies then that would mean…"

If she's going to mention the big F because of this mishap, he would definitely kill his brother. "Haruno," he choked on the words. Okay, he was also panicking. Kuso, why did it have to happen now? "…Your husband is not here. Tell me."

Sakura looked at his eyes wearily. "If Koichi-kun called you and Itachi-san his daddies then, that would mean I cheated on Suke-san. I three-timed my husband! I'm doomed!"

Sasuke felt he was going to have a headache. So that was all she was so worked up about? The only thing she cared about was her STATUS and not their GRADE? This girl is so…never mind. "I don't think so. My brother and I are not included in your little project. It's your evil toy's fault, he called us his daddies."

"That's impossible! He only responds to me and my partner. How did that happen?"

He didn't think twice. "Accident. Or worse a malfunction."

Her eyes went as wide as saucers. She grabbed his sleeve and demanded, "Are you saying that Koichi-kun malfunctioned?"

Uh-oh. He wasn't supposed to say that! "It's...um, a possibility," he swallowed.

The poor girl went hysterical, flailing her arms. If Sasuke wasn't able to duck in time she would've smacked her arm on his face. "No! A malfunction shouldn't happen! I don't want that to happen! I can't show my face to Suke-san once he finds out Koichi-kun got broken!"

"I told you it was only a possibility! Stop crying, you stupid onna!"

"Waaaiiihhhh! Sasuke-san, so mean!"

Itachi stepped in. "If you keep this up, I'm gonna think you're in some sort of a lovers' quarrel."

Both teens blushed furiously. Immediately, they looked away from one another. Satisfied by their reactions, he smirked. "That's better. For now, I want you guys to listen carefully." His younger brother glared at him and he added a matter-of-factly, "Aw, don't give me that look, ototou. You're already involved in this case."

Sasuke huffed. "Just get to the point already."

"Foolish little brother." Itachi flipped his ponytail. Little Sasuke was sooo uptight for his own good. "As I was saying, there might be something inside Koichi's body that hampers with the programming. Rest assured, Sakura-san. We'll figure something out."

Pinky swallowed nervously. "I can't tell Suke-san that Koichi suddenly malfunctioned. Who knows what he'll do to me once he finds out."

'Oh, I know exactly what **he'll** do to you,' Itachi cackled inwardly, seeing Sasuke's irritated look. "The only way out of this mess is to fix Koichi-kun. Don't worry, I won't tinker inside his precious little body."

Sakura heaved a sigh of relief while Sasuke raked his fingers through his hair. He was unconvinced. "How are you going to fix it? The problem is definitely in his system. If you're not going to pry it open, we won't be able to find out the cause."

His brother gave him a sinister grin. "Exactly. Which is why I'm taking Koichi to Sasori's place."

Sasuke's eyes grew twice its sizes. Oh no, certainly not those maniacal toy aficionados! Sasori and Deidara were avid collectors of toys-any kind. Dolls, figurines, model kits, stuffed toys, puppets, clay models...and so on. What sets them apart from other toy collectors is that they transform the collectibles into plastic zombies. He shuddered a thought when he remembered a particular incident with his stuffed penguin, Binky. He left it lying on his bed, and the next thing he knew, it was slithering after him.

He wouldn't want that to happen to Koichi. Who knows what diabolical plans the two are going to have for him. "Are you out of your mind? You're going to leave him under the care of those lunatics?" He stomped his foot angrily on the floor. "I won't allow it!"

Itachi poked him on the forehead. "Shut your trap. Sasori and Deidara may be doll-loving sissies but they're the best when it comes to electric thingamajig. And Sasori worked on these kinds for a long time. He can solve this mystery."

"But…"

He poked him on the forehead again. "No buts. You guys should take a break while I take Koichi-kun to the doctor." Itachi cuddled the simulator, earning a squeal in response. "Oh, and little brother, could you please pretend that you're both married while I'm out?"

"Hell no!" Sasuke snarled. Surely his vile brother didn't lose his nuts during panic mode earlier. He couldn't afford to blow his cover right in front of Sakura! Things were already complicated because of their silly electrical toy. What's even worse, he grew fond of the little guy.

"Hold your arms up dear brother."

He raised them up. Itachi handed the baby to him.

"DAAAADDDEEEEEEEEE!"

Itachi smirked, knowing the immature twit finally got the point. "See what I mean? As of this very moment, you're now Koichi-kun's daddy. So please, set a good example. Not only as a father but also," he gave Sakura a warm look. "As a husband to your wife as well."

Sasuke squeaked. How can he fulfill his part in the project if he was stuck to his **normal** self? Easier said than done! "B-But I'm not…her husband. Why don't we give the midget back to his daddy? He can help."

Itachi gave him the look that says, 'And how are you going to do that, huh?'

The troubled lad acknowledged his defeat. There was no way he would be able to pull that stunt. On top of that, he acted immaturely in front of Haruno. His brother was right all along even if he was such a vile person. He made a mental note to stab Itachi later in his sleep.

His brother leaned closer to him. "You don't want your other nerdy self to fail in this project now, do you? Remember what happened last time at your school festival? And right now in your school project? You might not have noticed Sasuke, but you guys got married twice. Imagine that."

He smirked evilly as he saw Sasuke's horrified expression.

It was so nice to see his little brother in agony.

* * *

Uchiha household

11:00 PM

'Shit, what's taking him so long?'

Sasuke grimaced. Itachi was surely taking his time. It made him nervous because it was his school project. If something bad happened to Koichi, it's all over. They would fail.

His ink-black eyes wandered to his partner who was sitting on the bed, knees tucked under her chin. From the way her bottom lip quivered, she was afraid. Why wouldn't she? She was waiting in agony in a boy's bedroom. In addition to that, her partner was supposed to be waiting for her return back in their dorm.

Ironically, her partner ended up in the same situation as her.

Waiting, but in normal clothes.

Duh.

Sasuke ran a hand through his spiky hair. The silence was deafening. It wasn't good. He wanted to scream but he couldn't do that while she's around. He glanced at her again. The guilt settled heavily on his stomach. He shouldn't have blurted out that Koichi could've malfunctioned. Otherwise, they wouldn't be in this kind of situation.

Ten negative points for making a girl lose her mind.

At least he should attempt to fix it, right?

He made his way carefully towards the pink-haired girl. She neither look up nor move as he sat next to her. She was too caught up in her thoughts of failing and Suke-san's wrath.

"Don't you suffer headaches from doing that?"

She blinked. "D-Doing what?"

"Thinking."

She blinked. "No."

He raised a brow. "No?"

"No. Will you please stop asking me?" She was in no mood for heated arguments. Not after Koichi has been declared cured.

He sighed. Striking up a conversation with her was a no-no. But it's better than the silence surrounding them. "I couldn't stand being quiet and all. Not after earlier." She didn't say anything. She only stared. He flicked her on the forehead then added, "It'll be okay Haruno. Itachi's eccentric but he'll be able to fix Koichi in no time."

She winced, rubbing her forehead. "That hurts."

He only looked at her. "You're annoying. Try smiling."

She quirked the side of her mouth upwards. Sasuke pinched her hard on the cheeks.

"Ow!"

He stuck his tongue out at her. "That's what happens when you fake a smile. Lighten up, will you? The supermarket incident was purely coincidental, ok? My brother and I just happened to be there."

"But you guys saved me!" she protested.

"I don't give a damn, Haruno. Don't prolong the subject," he replied curtly. He didn't want to dwell on the fact that he saved her from Neji. Not to mention the little incident on the kitchen. That would mean he was stepping on someone else's territory. Especially if that territory has been branded by Hyuga Neji.

It was complete madness.

He raised a brow. Her puffed-out cheeks are distracting him again. There goes the attraction. He shook his head.

Stupid pheromones!

Stop it. Stop it!

STOP IT!

"STOP IT!" He yelled.

Sakura was taken aback by his outburst. "W-What?"

He raised a hand. "No! It's not you." Then blinked in reaction to what he said. "Wait, it is your fault!"

"My fault? I don't even understand why you're so harsh towards me!" Sakura stood up from the bed. "Sometimes I wonder how others managed to put up with your attitude. I don't. And I think it's about time I leave for school. My partner must be worried sick about me."

She headed for the door. Sasuke grabbed her by the arm. "I don't think your partner's going to be worried about you."

"How sure are you?"

"Because," he trailed off for awhile then added, "Itachi made a call at your school. He already informed your partner that you'll be spending the night here." Sasuke triumphantly smirked at the look of defeat in her eyes. The hapless girl turned pale, she sagged against the door. He then leaned towards her, a hand touching one delicate cheek.

"You know what that means don't you?" he whispered huskily.

She shook her head. Her heart and instincts were saying something else. Plus, there were too many what ifs, and what nots. She wasn't ready to ponder on them. Without warning, tears began to leak out. Neji, Koichi's breakdown and the week-long stress finally caught up to her.

"Hey! You don't have to cry!" Sasuke didn't intend to scare her…he was just, oh damn. He immediately fished out a handkerchief from his jeans. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. Here," he muttered, offering the handkerchief.

"T-Thank you." Sakura said. She blew her nose loudly then wiped some excess mucus. Afterwards, she handed the handkerchief back to him.

Sasuke cringed at the thought of holding a snot-covered hanky. "Keep it. Anyways, care to explain why you broke down all of a sudden? I know I'm such a bastard, but I never ever thought of making a girl cry."

"It's not you, Sasuke-san." she hiccupped. "The entire week was nerve-wracking. No, let me correct that. It's my life that's completely messed up. Neji and I fought. Then Koichi malfunctioned. To top it off, Suke-san must be terribly worried that we're not yet home from the mall."

"I'm sure your husband wouldn't mind that you're here. He's a wimp, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it," he retorted. He had to badmouth his alter ego in order to avoid his cover being blown. It seemed to work as Sakura sighed in defeat.

"You're right. I'm just worrying over non-trivial matters. I hope that Itachi-san will be able to find a way to bring Koichi to normal," she agreed. The two of them sighed as they waited for the older Uchiha to come back with the simulator.

* * *

Sasori's workshop

11:30 PM

"This is remarkable, Itachi. I must say, the parts are highly maintained. But, I'm sure you've set your eyes upon this," the red-haired gadget master held up a tiny blue microchip. Itachi smirked as the tiny object was dropped on his palm.

Deidara, Sasori's assistant sighed as he closed the simulator's body shut. "They've rigged it with a voice recognition code. Once this baby will be returned to the facility, the microchips will be extracted and observed for further data. Your brother will be toast once the old geezer recognizes his voice from the records."

Itachi nodded as he laid the chip in his handkerchief, folded it neatly then tucked it inside his pocket. "Otosan is finally showing his aggressive side. He's dead-set in making Sasuke his heir apparent. Ototo may be strong but when it comes to our father, he becomes undone. Mother on the other hand, wouldn't do anything that would upset our father." He gave his two friends a creepy smirk. "Of course, I love my brother too much to take care of that huge burden, am I not?"

Deidara sweatdropped. "Uh…yeah."

"Anyways," Sasori cut in, "Are you going to tell Sasuke about this little discovery you made? This is serious, I mean, it can blow his cover up in school."

"Hmm…" Itachi tapped one well-manicured nail under his chin. If he's going to tell his little brother about the chip, he will seriously have a fit. Sasuke will never forgive their father once he finds out. He was dead serious when he said that he would not go back to their parents' home. Their father wanted nothing more but perfection. He sighed. Even if he didn't like the old man's ways, he still felt compassion for him. "No, I'm not going to tell him about the chip. It's better if we leave him out of this. I don't want him flunking in his exams because of our father's devious little play."

His two friends nodded in approval. Itachi went to where the simulator was and picked him up. It was time for him to bring the baby back to where his parents are.

* * *

**A/N:** So there you have it! The much-delayed but hopefully still awaited chapter! Like I said earlier, the story will go on! With more laughs, more tears, and more torment for our favorite main character! Cheerios!


	28. Sights and Sighs

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. It is the sole property of Kishimoto Masashi.

**A/N:** Hello minna-san, it is I, the author! Anyways, here we are now at Chapter 28! We're finally nearing the end of Sasuke's project! There will be more laughs, sighs, and of course never-ending adventures for our favorite nerd! Enjoy!

**Note:** I added some tidbits to the story especially in the breakfast scene. Okay, back to your reading now! ^^

* * *

**Chapter 28: Sights and sighs.**

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* * *

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Uchiha residence

12:00 MN

Sasuke sighed as he stared at the window. 'What is Itachi doing right now? It's been more than two hours,' he thought worriedly. He glanced at his pink-haired companion who was sleeping peacefully in his bed. Sakura was worried sick about their school project. If Sasori and Deidara wouldn't be able to find a cure for Koichi he'll kill them. His murderous thoughts dissipated when he heard incoming car sounds and his brother's voice. He sighed in relief as he saw Itachi got out of the car with Koichi tucked under his arm. Sasuke immediately went out of his room and opened the front door.

Itachi wasn't fazed at all when he saw his panic-stricken face. "Sasuke. What's the matter? You looked like you saw a ghost."

His younger brother opened his mouth to speak but then he clamped it shut. His eyes darted from the infant simulator to his brother. "Koichi," he rasped. "Well? Did Sasori and Deidara able to figure out what the problem is?"

"Aa," Itachi handed him the simulator. "Sasori completely fixed it."

Sasuke inspected Sasori's handiwork. Wow, it looked better than earlier. But first…he eyed his brother warily. "What about the problem with the voice-recognition system?"

"Problem solved." Itachi ran a hand through his silken tresses. "He programmed the toy to recognize "Suke's voice". So don't worry about it."

"Hn," Sasuke muttered under his breath. He didn't want to cause another ruckus. Good thing Sasori remembered that important tidbit. He can now sleep comfortably tonight. He noticed his brother's intimidating look. "What?" he asked.

"Where's Sakura-san?"

"Sleeping."

"Oh." That was fast. "In your room?"

One eyebrow twitched. "Yeah. Where else do you want me to put her?"

Itachi tapped a finger under his chin. "Hmm…I don't know."

Twitch. Twitch. "If you're thinking about anything dirty 'nisan, I'll pound the living daylights out of you."

His brother cackled, as if his threat was something that only a child could have done. "Calm down, my foolish little brother. It's not like I'm accusing you of manhandling her. She's your wife after all, so, you're free to do whatever you want with her."

Sasuke gaped. The nerve of his brother! "We're only married in our school project. Stop assuming, it's not funny." Out of nowhere, he remembered Sakura's tear-streaked face. It wasn't just the school project she was stressing about. Maybe it had something to do with her misogynist boyfriend. The scene at the supermarket was a big letdown. Not to mention Tenten had beaten the crap out of her.

The boy's eyebrows furrowed in thought. 'Why is that girl so unlucky?' But before he could further ponder on that question, he felt a sharp pain on his forehead. His hand went up. "What in the hell were you doing? That fucking hurts!"

Itachi gave a sly grin. "What's wrong with me flicking your forehead?" Sensing his brother's ominous glare, he turned his back on him. "Anyways, I'm off to bed. Get some sleep because I'll be driving you off to school first thing in the morning. We don't want your wife to find out about your alter ego. " He gave him a lazy wave goodbye then trotted off towards his bedroom.

Sasuke stuck his tongue out at his brother's direction.

* * *

7:00 AM

Uchiha residence

Sakura opened her eyes. Light streamed through the blinds in Sasuke's bedroom. She sat up immediately. 'Where's Koichi?' she thought. As if to answer her thoughts, she heard light snoring and looked down. The infant simulator was sleeping peacefully next to her. She picked Koichi up and touched his cheek. The electronic toy woke up and blinked.

"Koichi-kun?" she asked, barely a whisper.

The toy giggled and waved its arms. "Mameee!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, she hugged it close to her chest. Thank goodness! She thought that she won't be able to see him again. Now she'll be able to face Suke-san with no guilt whatsoever. The door opened and Itachi greeted her with a big smile. "Ohayou, Sakura-san!"

"O-Ohayou Itachi-san." Sakura immediately sat up. She bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you for everything last night."

Itachi waved a hand dismissively. "No need to thank me. Sasuke didn't stop hounding me the entire night. He wanted to make sure everything's okay."

She smiled inwardly. So he was worried? Even though he was a stoic individual, Sasuke had a soft spot. Still hugging Koichi, she bowed her head in gratitude then went followed Itachi out of the room. She saw the young Uchiha slouching on the sofa, reading the newspaper. Sasuke didn't even acknowledge her presence, let alone look at her. But she only smiled. She had inkling that it was a certain habit of his.

Itachi's head popped from the kitchen door. "What are you kids waiting for? Go to the dining room now so that we can start eating."

Sasuke stood up from the sofa and trudged towards the said room. Sakura followed suit, mindful of the Uchiha's current state of annoyance. Well, he thinks he had perfect judge of character but he's wrong. He was confusing her, to the point that it made her want to scream and lash out at him.

Just what exactly did she do to him?

Upon entering the dining room, Sasuke immediately sat down then proceeded to read the newspaper. He may not show it but he occasionally stole glances at his pink-haired classmate who was obviously too caught up with her thoughts. Needless to say, he wasn't completely ignoring her. He was just…playing safe. To protect his identity, of course.

She took a seat next to him. He still didn't notice her.

Itachi sat across from them. "Well then, shall we eat?" Sakura nodded eagerly, placing Koichi on her lap while Sasuke put down the newspaper. The three of them muttered, "Itadakimasu," then started their meal. The older Uchiha glanced at his brother who was eating in a rather fast pace. "Sasuke," he began. His brother continued wolfing down his meal. "If you keep that up, you'll get sick. Unless," he smirked, "you want Sakura-san to give you the Heimlich maneuver."

Sasuke choked and sputtered. Sakura squeaked then immediately handed him a glass of water. He downed all of it in one gulp. Itachi's smirk widened. He went back on eating his meal, even if his brother was glaring daggers at his direction.

'Ah, this really made my day.'

* * *

Sasuke said goodbyes to his brother and Sakura then headed out for school. Itachi kept on insisting he take Sakura with him but he refused flatly, muttering an excuse about Sunagakure Gakuen being far away and he didn't want to be late. He made another turn at the corner then checked to see if the coast was clear.

"Finally, now I can change," he breathed a sigh of relief. There was no sign of his brother and Sakura. He ducked behind a thick bush and unbuttoned his coat, revealing his uniform. Afterwards, he mussed his hair with hair gel and donned his wide-framed glasses. Stuffing his coat inside his bag, he was all-set for school. "There was no way I'll be able to focus whenever she's around," he muttered under his breath. Seriously, what was his brother thinking? First was the school festival and next, the supermarket and now, this? There was one thing he remembered on his past encounters with her and that was to stay away out of Hyuga Neji's property. He didn't want to deal with Neji's ramblings. Not after he finishes the school year.

He remembered Sakura's misty green eyes and troubled face. The way Neji treated her as if she was nothing but a thing to him.

Haruno Sakura was his property, wasn't she?

But then, why was he acting like he cared?

"I must be out of my mind," Sasuke thought. Still bothered by his thoughts, he finally reached the school's gate when out of nowhere, a pair of arms wrapped around him. He turned around to face his attacker and sweat dropped. It was none other than his blonde friend grinning from ear to ear. "Ohayou, Sasuke-chan! How was your sleep last night? You better had a dream about me or else, I won't let you go!"

"Cut it out, dobe! Sheesh, stop calling me that or we'll get caught!" Sasuke finally disentangled himself from Naruto and bonked him hard on the head. Naruto feigned pain as he massaged the spot where he hit him. "Ow! Watch it! Man, I know you like S&M but don't do it here. Do it when were alone!"

It took a huge amount of self-restraint for Sasuke not to kill him right then and there. Good thing a bag came out of nowhere and knocked Naruto off his feet. "Head shot!" the perpetrator exclaimed. The younger Uchiha smirked as he saw Tenten walking towards their direction. He waved a hand at the brown-haired girl. "T, over here," he signaled. It didn't take long for her to reach them.

"Wow, foxface. Super clingy at this time of the morning?" she commented. Naruto smirked as he stood up. "Well, T. I'm just super happy that this project will be over. It was hard being your husband."

"And why is that?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

Naruto crossed his arms. "Your snores are loud. You can't cook, you sleep late, you make me do all the work and you leave your clothes scattered all over the floor. I'm your husband, not your personal housekeeper. And to top all that, you hogged the blankets!"

Tenten smacked him on the head. "Freak! What kind of reasons were those? I'm not treating you like a housekeeper! I'm just asking you favors!"

"Oh really? What about that time you asked me to wash your undies?" Naruto teased.

The girl went beet red as she sputtered incoherent words. Naruto ran ahead of them as he waved his hand in a teasing manner. "Don't worry T! At least I did a good job in removing all the stains!"

"Come back here you perverted creep!" Tenten screamed bloody murder as she ran after him.

Sasuke tried not to snicker as he adjusted his backpack. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chouji and his friends waiting for him near the school fountain. Apparently they were eyeing him like he was a very special kind of meat. Oh no. Bully time already? He glanced at his watch. 30 minutes before the first class. Which means…?

'Crap,' he thought inwardly, seeing Chouji's disgusting smirk.

It was going to be a very long day.

* * *

12:30 PM

Recess time

Sakura gloomily finished the remains of her garden salad. Soon it will be Kurenai-sensei's class, signaling the end of their school project. She stole a glance at her 'husband' who was sitting in the farthest corner of the cafeteria. Apparently he was dumped again in the trashcan; hence he smelled of rotting milk and covered with banana peels. She sighed as she cuddled their baby. Just a few more minutes and they'll be passing the simulators back to Kurenai-sensei for grading. Looking back at Suke, she was really worried about his well-being. If only there was something she could do to help her newfound friend.

"Sakura," Ino began, breaking her thoughts. She was also nursing her baby. Sakura turned to her friend. "What is it?" she asked. The blond girl had a knowing smile on her face. "What's the matter, Sakura? You seem not to be yourself lately. Care to tell me what's inside that big forehead of yours?"

She sighed again. "I was just a little burned out from the events during the past few weeks." Plus the fact that she had a feeling that Uchiha Sasuke was annoyed at her. She would often wonder what she would have done to upset the stoic Uchiha. Maybe it's because she was relying on him too much when it comes to her conflicts with Neji. It was confusing; she didn't understand why Sasuke would defend her from Neji. Even if he was constantly annoyed by her. But then, there has to be reason.

"Are you still worried about Neji?" Ino asked softly. Sakura couldn't hide the truth from her best friend so she nodded. Ino flipped a stray lock of hair away from her face. "Sakura, I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer me honestly. Are you happy with Neji?"

Her question took Sakura by surprise. She never expected it from Ino. Usually, her blonde friend would only care about her looks. Still, she was grateful for her friend's concern. "Thank you, actually….I'm quite confused with my feelings for Neji-kun." Ino nodded, urging her to continue. Sakura fiddled with her thumbs nervously. "Um…lately, I've been thinking about our status. Neji still kept on hurting me even though he told me a lot of times that he'll change."

"Sakura, if you can't handle it anymore then break up with him. If something bad happens to you, I don't think your parents would like to see their daughter getting hurt," Ino reassured her. She took Sakura's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. She was deeply concerned. Judging from the past events, she saw how her best friend fared in her relationship. At the school festival, on top of the rooftop, not to mention the bruise on Sakura's cheek. Even though she tried to cover it with makeup during their classes, Ino knew who was responsible for that bruise.

Sakura smiled at Ino's gesture. She gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Thanks Ino-chan."

* * *

2:30 PM

CLASS TIME

"Okay class," Kurenai-sensei addressed her students. The class went silent though there were giggles coming from the back. The teacher tapped her ruler to get their attention. "Congratulations on finishing your projects. I know it was a tough one and you managed to prove to us how responsible you guys were. So," she presented a cardboard box in front of them and continued, "I have here three infant simulators who successfully passed the requirements of this project. So, I will be announcing the pairs with the highest grades."

Sasuke clasped his hands tightly. Hopefully he and Sakura would make it through this despite the previous mishaps. Hell, he put a whole of effort to pass this stupid project. Running a hand through his hair, he swallowed thickly as he listened to Kurenai's announcement.

The teacher held out the first simulator. "First pair: Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuga Hinata."

Kiba yelled in delight while he dragged his shy classmate in front. Hinata squeaked but soon gained her composure when Kurenai-sensei handed them their certificate. The class gave them a monotonous clap. "Good job you two. Though I strongly disapprove of you teaching the baby dog tricks, Kiba," Kurenai commented.

"I'm sorry teach. It's just that I want our child to be a veterinarian someday!" Kiba answered loudly. The entire class sweatdropped at the pairing. Of course, everyone knows that Kiba was an avid dog lover.

Kurenai went back to her post to pick up the next pairing. "The next pair is: Akimichi Chouji and Aburame Shino." The class felt a dark cloud emanating from the back as Chouji and Shino walked towards the teacher to get their prize. Kurenai gave them their certificate and asked, "Despite the fact that you boys were partners in this project, you managed to pull through and teach the baby what you knew. Congratulations, though Chouji you are not allowed to eat snacks during class time."

"Thank you Kurenai-sensei," Shino accepted the certificate. Chouji was too busy with his snacks so they both took their positions next to Kiba and Hinata. Kurenai smiled at her students then reached for the last simulator. Sakura held her breath as she awaited the last names to be called. She glanced back at her partner who seemed to be lost in thought. 'What could he be thinking?' she wondered. Everyone in class knew that Suke was the ultimate nerd/victim. But only she knew that deep inside, he wasn't that bad of a guy. She didn't believe in the quote, "First impressions last." To put it more likely, Suke was the first friend she ever had, aside from Ino and the girls.

Sasuke on the other hand sighed. Of course Chouji would pass the project. He remembered the chokehold the fat guy gave him when they were in the restroom. Chouji threatened him to do their essay or else he'll be hanging at the flagpole in his birthday suit. He tapped his pen impatiently and muttered, "Stupid fat-ass. Without me, you wouldn't pass this project. I hope Haruno and I make it out as well or I'll never forgive myself if I lose to them." The irony of helping the other pass but not benefitting from it was so mortifying.

Kurenai picked the last infant simulator. "And finally, the moment that you've all been waiting for. The last pair that I'm going to announce exerted a lot of effort in making their 'marriage' work and raising their baby well. Even I was so surprised that this baby was well-loved even though we all know that this is just a toy."

'Haruno literally spoiled the baby that's why,' Sasuke thought dryly. He already had a hunch that they'll be the ones passing the project. His instincts never proved him wrong.

"And the pair with the highest points is Haruno Sakura and her partner!" Kurenai-sensei announced. Everyone was surprised, some of them were awed that Sakura and the nerd would get the highest score. But then again, Suke was a nerd so getting the high score was of course, nothing to him. The pink-haired girl stood up and walked in front with her chin high. Nerd boy on the other hand, bowed his head and mumbled apologies as he passed by because of the stench he received from this morning's bullying. How typical of Kurenai-sensei to forget his name. But nevertheless he accepted the certificate and resumed quickly to his seat. He took a glance at Sakura who was grinning at him. He turned his face away.

He didn't want her to see his reddening face.

* * *

6:00 PM

Uchiha household

"Wow, I envy you man. Highest score in class! Too bad T and I got a B+ but it's still good," Naruto mused as he flipped through the pages of Sasuke's essay. Said boy grunted as he dried his hair with a towel. It felt good to have a shower after a neck breaking day at school. Earlier during dismissal, Chouji and his thugs cornered him again in the classroom. They plied him again with their homework and demanded he finish all of it before tomorrow. Just when he thought he could've finally gotten some rest. Good thing Naruto showed up and gave him a ride home.

It was an arduous ride home on his scooter.

The 30-minute drive was pure torture. Especially with Naruto hounding him to hang on to his waist while the blonde fool who was grinning under his helmet, swerved past vehicles and posts. Last time he whacked Naruto upside down when they almost crash through an electrical post.

Naruto averted his gaze from his essay. "Sasuke-chan, where's Itachi and T? I haven't seen them since this afternoon!"

"Grocery shopping. Itachi's been raving about having a party tonight since I passed the project with flying colors," Sasuke quipped as he placed the towel on the rack. Where in the hell did Itachi get his party spirit? Running a hand through his messy hair, he head for the door. He could feel Naruto's unnerving gaze on his back as he left the room.

The blond chuckled quietly to himself as he continued to read.

…

Sasuke lazily browsed the TV for a good show when he heard Itachi's car pulling over the driveway. The door was loudly opened and Tenten entered the living room, groceries in hand. She gave him a sour look before heading towards the kitchen. 'What's wrong with her?' he thought as he stood up from the couch. He was about to follow her to ask when he got stopped in his tracks.

Sakura was standing at the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, albeit annoyed. No wonder T's face scrunched up like a dried tomato. The petal-haired teen didn't respond and was rather uneasy. Sasuke walked a bit closer to her. "Haruno, why are you here?"

"I invited her."

Both teens turned around to see Itachi entering the house, groceries on hand. Smirking, he sauntered past them, heading to the kitchen. Sakura didn't move from her spot. Sasuke sighed as he moved closer to her. She took a few steps back. "Um…I'm sorry. I bumped Itachi-san and Tenten at the supermarket. He told me that you're having a party and…"

"Hn," he responded. Stopping in front of her, he could only stare at her small form. Since when was she small? He leaned for a closer look. Soft petal-colored hair, Bright green eyes the color of emerald and smooth milky-white alabaster skin. For once, he never saw her as an annoying classmate who kept causing problems around him and his fragile identity. Now, looking at her closely he realized one thing.

Haruno Sakura was very pretty.

And he was making her uncomfortable.

* * *

**Author's note:** There you have it folks! Chapter 28! I know I kept you waiting for so long and I apologize for the delay! I love this story and I'll do my best to continue this until the very end. Thank you for all the support and keep those reviews coming! Stay tuned to the next chappie!

And here's another one of my never-ending cliffy questions:

**What will happen at next chapter's party?**

a. They will be having a good time

b. There will be a bitch mud fight

c. Sasuke will finally get it on with Naruto

d. Feed the author with more noms

See you guys at the next chapter!


	29. Turn of the Tide

Disclaimer: Naruto is not my property! If I did, I would've made it into a shoujo manga! .

A/N: Minna-san! This is the author! Sorry if I took so long in updating! It's been three years and I hope that you guys are still not giving up in reading the story. We have decided, yes, to stick to Yokoso to the very end. College as always, is a lot stressful but I'm starting to turn back to writing for stress relief. Well, here goes! I apologize if I changed some things because I wasn't satisfied with the first version. So, I had to republish this chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Recap:**

_"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, albeit annoyed. No wonder T's face scrunched up like a dried tomato. The petal-haired teen didn't respond and was rather uneasy. Sasuke walked a bit closer to her. "Haruno, why are you here?"_

_"I invited her."_

_Both teens turned around to see Itachi entering the house, groceries on hand. Smirking, he sauntered past them, heading to the kitchen. Sakura didn't move from her spot. Sasuke sighed as he moved closer to her. She took a few steps back. "Um…I'm sorry. I bumped Itachi-san and Tenten at the supermarket. He told me that you're having a party and…"_

_"Hn," he responded. Stopping in front of her, he could only stare at her small form. Since when was she small? He leaned for a closer look. Soft petal-colored hair, Bright green eyes the color of emerald and smooth milky-white alabaster skin. For once, he never saw her as an annoying classmate who kept causing problems around him and his fragile identity. Now, looking at her closely he realized one thing._

_Haruno Sakura was very pretty._

_And he was making her uncomfortable._

* * *

Chapter 29: Turn of the Tide

* * *

There was complete silence.

Itachi left the two of them for some reason. Even if he didn't look back, his brother constantly glared daggers behind his back. Sasuke hated surprises. Particularly surprises in pretty packages. The older Uchiha let out a happy laugh as he finally reached the kitchen. He put his groceries on top of the counter then began to rummage for kitchen tools. After he found the necessary utensils and started paring the potatoes, his mind drifted towards that particular incident in the hallway.

The look on his brother's face was priceless. It wasn't a look of irritation but a mixture of incredulity and oddity. He chuckled, knowing exactly what's running through little Sasuke's brain. The poor guy believed that his encounters with the petite girl would finally cease after their school project.

Apparently it didn't.

As the big brother and being a devious individual that he is, he never wanted his brother's little meetings with Sakura to end. He had a stroke of luck earlier when he saw her at the grocery store paying for her purchases. All of a sudden, he had a plan forming in his mind so he approached her.

And the rest was history.

"I have a reason why I need to keep her within his reach," he decided mentally. Sakura unknowingly caused several things that enabled his brother to evolve into a hot-blooded male. Hot-blooded, since Sasuke's shifty behaviour was as slippery as a cold fish. His social life was also hopeless. To think that he ultimately decided to resign to his fate as a human punching bag for all the bullies at his school. Sure, it was for the sake of his cover-up, but watching him endure it for the succeeding school years was wholly tiresome.

At the very least, he thanked Kami-sama that Sasuke still managed to stay straight. Although his persistent squabbling with Naruto made it doubtful, considering that the latter frequently showed his homophobic intentions towards him. He could've sworn that he was slowly turning into one since it was rather obvious that he didn't show any interest on the female species.

Until his qualms flew right out the window after his brother met Haruno Sakura.

Who knew that unyielding, stodgy and boring Sasuke would finally come out of his shell?

And to sum up everything, here are the following changes Itachi witnessed during the previous chapters:

**Change#1: Sasuke became open to communication.**

"_More like whining. Ever since he encountered Sakura-san, he became chatty. And the whining, dear Kami-sama was too much. He's like a little girl,"_ Itachi cringed, as he placed the cut potatoes on the side and chopped the onions next. It was a huge step, considering that Sasuke rarely talked about his feelings. If he ever had one thing to say, the people around him would be the last ones to know. He was like a closed book. And now, he would often let them know. He would, almost every time of the day, so long as it involves a certain pink-haired girl.

**Change#2: Sasuke became aware of his surroundings.**

Recalling the time Neji introduced his girlfriend to Sasuke, Itachi discerned that his brother acted way too formal in front of them. Moreover, he didn't even blink. It was pretty obvious that his façade was flawless. He would often use this front when they're meeting up with the elite classes. Because of this 'perfect' façade of his, everyone believed that he will be the one to succeed their father as the next CEO of Uchiha Industries. It was certain since the firstborn stepped down from his father's pedestal to be free from his radical machinations. It was a wonder that Haruno Sakura was able to zip past Sasuke's impenetrable barrier and broke the supposedly seamless façade that took him several years to build. As a result, his brother became intrigued and his curiosity about _'Neji's girlfriend'_ got the better of him. "Not to mention the numerous times he treated her like a speck of dirt and yet she was still able to get close to him," Itachi added, wryly.

"Itachi-saaaaaan! What are you cooking?"

'_Crap,'_ he muttered angrily. He hated his thoughts being interrupted. He glanced across his shoulder and saw Naruto standing next to the doorway. The upbeat lad was in such a good mood. He grinned from ear-to-ear and Itachi concluded that he was up to no good.

Naruto was Naruto after all. "I'm making korokke pan. Come back in a few minutes."

The blond shook his head as he sat on the chair. Propping his elbows on the table, he replied, "Nah. T's in a bad mood tonight so I'm letting her sulk."

"Oh? Too bad, it's her favourite."

"I wouldn't mind eating her share of the food. However," Naruto's goofy expression changed into that of a smirk, "I'm interested on what's happening right now in the living room, if you wouldn't mind me asking."

Itachi raised a brow curiously, mixing the stuffing. "That? I invited Sakura-san over for dinner."

The younger man leaned slightly, his tone sharp yet hushed. "Itachi-san, I'm afraid you're making Sakura-chan tread on dangerous ground. You know as much as I do that T doesn't like her. I can't do anything to prevent her wrath for now and also, Sasuke warned us that he'll kick our asses if we lay a finger on her."

His warning went unheeded as Itachi patted him reassuringly on the head. "Relax, Naruto-kun. Since you're here anyways, why don't you help me analyse their situation? I could really use your help."

Since Naruto was treated like an A-wall for the past few chapters and had less screen time finally, it's his time to shine. He eagerly agreed.

And back to Itachi's observation! (With Naruto's help)

**Change#3: Sasuke was now able to tell the difference between a man and a woman.**

Naruto giggled. Yes, he giggled. "Seriously? Come on, he wouldn't even acknowledge T's a girl! He'd often treat her like she's just one of his guy pals!" He was bonked on the head with a spatula. "OW!"

"Idiot! Not like that. Obviously, he won't be hostile to Tenten even if she's a girl. You're both his friends." Itachi tapped a finger under his chin thoughtfully. "And besides, the three of you grew up together for a long time and he's still not aware of the opposite sex. Except for Tenten since she's your best friend."

"So you're saying that upon meeting Sakura-chan, he learned how to appreciate girls?"

Itachi sighed dramatically. "If I remember correctly, it began at your school festival. He and Sakura-san got married in that fake ceremony by Kakashi-sensei. After he got exposed to cooties, that's when he began to take notice of the female species." (School Arc chapter 16)

"Hey! Why didn't you tell me about that? T and I searched the entire school for him!" Naruto exclaimed.

Itachi chuckled lightly. "Well, if you must know he didn't take it too lightly. As soon as he got back from that festival, he was scratching all over. He told me it was cooties because he accidentally smashed lips with Sakura-san. Turns out it was his allergy acting up."

Naruto blinked for a second then laughed. "C-cooties? Hahahahaha! I guess we have to thank the dreaded cooties for making him aware of the opposite sex! But he should've gotten over it by now since cooties are just a figment of his imagination."

"Too right you are."

**Change#4: Sasuke's lack of fashion sense is evolving.**

The two men immediately looked at each other and said, "Nah!"

**Change#5: Sasuke began showing concern for the people around him.**

"Hmm, I'll definitely agree on this one. That display he showed at the supermarket really topped the icing on the cake!" Naruto remarked as he smiled at Itachi who nodded in response.

**Change#6: Sasuke finally learned how to care.**

"Isn't that the same as showing concern?" The blond teen asked confusingly.

Itachi waved his hand, dismissively. "True but it's not the entirety of it, Naruto-kun. Concern is actually different from caring. When you show concern for someone except its well-being, you're actually conveying sympathy. On the other hand, caring for someone including its own well-being is an expression of empathy."

The lad still didn't grasp the meaning. "But aren't sympathy and empathy the same? I mean, they're both the same when it comes to showing feelings for a person. Sasuke's not showing any signs of this yet. And it's certainly doesn't show because he's always annoyed by her."

Itachi smirked at his notion. "Again, correct, but you're missing the point. Yes, both terms have the same capability: to share feelings. But what sets them apart is by how that person conveys those feelings."

Naruto's look didn't waver a bit.

The older man sighed. "Okay, I'll explain this to you in a manner that you will understand."

"Okay!"

"Let's tackle sympathy first. I told you earlier that it focuses on concern but not caring for the person's well-being. Sasuke displayed this feeling when he saved Sakura-san from getting clobbered by T. He and Neji being rivals was already yesterday's news, so why would he save the girlfriend? It's because he was thinking of himself at that time. He didn't want to get himself involved with Neji so he decided to help the girl in order to cut his connections to them."

"I dunno. Sasuke probably did it to gain a win from the enemy by snagging the one thing that's most important to him. Yet he hates Neji to the core." The teen answered, albeit disbelieving.

The raven-haired man chuckled as he started cutting the tomatoes. "If you were Uchiha Sasuke, would you really go that far to break the enemy?" He looked at the other man in the eye.

Naruto finally admit defeat. "No. I've known him since we were young and I never saw him lift a finger against Hyuga. It was that bastard who kept going at him, even sending his lackeys to do his dirty bidding." He clenched a fist. "I have nothing against Sakura-chan but if she's part of Neji's plot in bringing Sasuke-chan down, I'll even assist T in disposing her." His eyes lit up then he looked at Itachi. "Wait, if it's just concern then how will it end up as caring? He often treated her like an annoyance!"

Itachi was satisfied at the young man's display of loyalty. But of course, he couldn't help but defend his precious charge. "It's because he's beginning to see Sakura-san as something more than just an annoyance."

Silence filled the entire kitchen. The lad didn't say anything, though he eventually got the picture. Letting out a shrewd smile, he winked at Itachi. "Those were some pretty interesting observations, older brother-san. I'm wondering how Sasuke will hold out until the end."

Itachi smiled back. "Then, we'll have to wait and see."

The blond turned his back on him, heading for the doorway. "That was fun! Now, time to go back and see how T's doing."

The older Uchiha nodded then went back to his task. _'Hopefully this night will be a good one.'_

* * *

7:30 PM

Living Room

* * *

"What are you doing here, Haruno?"

Sakura fidgeted under his gaze. Usually she would get annoyed if guys would stare at her like that. But this was Uchiha Sasuke. She mentally smacked herself. What's with this guy making her knees wobble and her whole body shake? Maybe it's that scowl of his or that ominous glare.

She mustered enough courage to respond. "Like Itachi-san said, he invited me."

"Hn."

She raised a hand. "If you're thinking about that incident with Koichi, let me assure you that my partner and I passed the project with flying colors. He didn't notice anything unusual. So don't worry about a thing."

It took a while for Sasuke to register what she said. Apparently, he was too busy studying her facial expressions. How could a girl switch into so many expressions at once? Earlier, he could've sworn she was going to tear up in front of him.

Was Neji tormenting her again?

'_Since when did I become so concerned about her love life?'_ he thought. In favour of deception, he decided to play his cards right. If he continued to be ignorant, he'll get his cover blown. Since they've already formed some sort of bond because of Neji, the least he could do was to ask about their relationship was doing.

"How are things going with Hyuga?"

She flinched a bit but relaxed. "He's doing fine."

"Aa." He decided not to prod any further, seeing how she looked deeply affected. Indeed, there was something bad going on between her and Hyuga. Sighing, he decided not to involve himself with their fragmented love life. He gestured at the sofa. "Why don't you take a seat first? I'll get you something to drink."

"That would be great."

Sasuke narrowly eyed her as she sat on the sofa. Feeling a sense of indifference, he made his way to the kitchen. He was still curious as to why his idiotic brother dragged her home. Surely it wasn't on Itachi's list to torment him again. The festival was a first, and then the dreaded school project. Now, inviting her for dinner?

'_What the fuck's going on?'_

Letting his thoughts slide, he finally reached the kitchen. His brother was already putting the finishing touches for their dinner tonight. Upon sensing Sasuke's gaze on him, he looked at him in acknowledgement. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"How'd it go?"

His eyebrow went up. "Go with what?"

Itachi went back to his work. "Sakura-san. She looked deeply worried about something."

Sasuke didn't pay attention to his words as he took a carton of orange juice from the fridge. Pouring the liquid into the glass, he couldn't help but ask. "Why are you so concerned?"

"Are you?"

He placed the carton back. "I'm not."

"You can't fool me, Sasuke."

Said Uchiha only glared. Itachi gave a small laugh as he finally finished. Admiring his work, his expression turned serious. "That girl's been occupying your mind since the day you first met. Naruto and Tenten may not be aware of it but I do. Lately, you've been acting way off-hand whenever she's around you."

"Is that why you brought her here? In order for you to prove to me that what you're saying is true?" Sasuke retorted angrily.

Itachi waved his hand dismissively. "Why are you so defensive? Before, you would just let things like this slide. Now you're acting like a guy who just hit puberty. It's okay. I'll keep this little crush of yours a secret."

Sasuke was ready to pound his brother's head. "For the last time, I don't have a crush on her."

His brother retorted sternly. "Why don't you just face the truth? Admit it, Sasuke. You're beginning to like her."

"I already said that I don't…" He trailed off when he heard incoming footsteps. Both Uchihas looked at the doorway to see Tenten who seemed to be not in the best of moods. Hating the discomfort from their gazes, she asked. "Naruto told me to check up on you guys. How's the food?"

"Dinner's ready, Tenten. If it weren't for Sasuke hounding me, I would be setting the table by now."

The nerve of his brother! Sasuke snatched up the glasses with orange juice and walked past Tenten without a word. She watched him suspiciously as he went back to the living room. Letting out a low groan, she asked Itachi. "What's wrong with him? It's like he's having PMS."

"Well, you know him. He's our little girl."

"Hmf," she grumbled. Even if the person in front of her whom she considered as one of her best friends didn't tell her, she already knew the source of Sasuke's moodiness. Whenever that pink hussy's around, he was never in a good mood. In fact, he was constantly annoyed by her presence. It was the girl's fault, since she kept on sticking to him like glue. As his friend, it's her job to make sure that no harm would come his way.

Especially in the form of a weak girl named Haruno Sakura.

On the other hand, Itachi just smirked.

* * *

Dinner was unpleasantly quiet. For Sasuke that is.

Itachi, being the gracious host, pampered them a lot by offering several helpings. Naruto and Tenten still squabbled like little children while Sakura was all smiles. Sighing discontentedly, he helped himself to more rice. Even though his friends' noises were creating some sort of distraction during the entire course, it still didn't help to lighten the mood.

"Do you want more helping, Sakura-san?" Itachi asked Sakura who nodded instantly, offering her bowl. Tenten watched her carefully, eyeing her cautious movements and stiff smiles. She then glanced back at Sasuke who was eating unobtrusively and yet, would sometimes glimpse at the girl across from him. _'What the hell's going on? It's as if they're treating her like a member of the family!'_ she thought, munching her food irately.

Out of nowhere, Naruto shoved his bowl a few inches away from her face. "More please!"

Startled, Tenten smacked him on the head. "Watch it! You almost hit my face!"

"You're such a grouch! I don't know why you're always irritated at me!"

"Cut it out already! Can't we just have a nice and quiet dinner?" Sasuke spoke at last, glaring at each one of them. His two friends hushed down but not after giving each other heated looks. The raven-haired lad resumed eating his meal however it was peculiar. Their attention was now directed at him.

Enough was enough. He put his bowl down. "Gochisousama."

Itachi raised a brow. He stared at his now empty bowl. "Already? You only just had one bowl of rice."

Running a hand through his hair idly, he stood up. "I'm going out." He could feel their gazes on him. With the exception of Sakura, who looked away and preoccupied herself by eating.

"Want me to go with you, Sasuke-chan?" Naruto batted his lashes.

"No."

"Pretty please?"

Without saying another word, he left. He knew he had to leave. Those probing looks were already getting in his nerves.

It was time for him to take a walk anyways.

Just to clear his mind off of things.

* * *

11:00 PM

* * *

"Good night then! We'll see you guys in the morning," Naruto said, ushering Tenten out the door. The fuming girl didn't budge from where she was standing but she had no other choice. They still have school tomorrow and a pile of homework to do.

Itachi heaved a sigh, crossing his arms. "It's already late. Are you sure you don't want to spend the night?"

Tenten hugged him, grateful for his offer. "No worries. Naruto's taking me home anyways and we still have school. And also, you have bigger problems to worry about." She gave a muted gaze past Itachi's shoulder. Naruto rolled his eyes as he slung an arm around her neck.

"The hell you're talking about? Just because Sasuke-chan's not here doesn't mean you have to take it out on someone else! And besides," he whispered slyly. "They're not yet together."

Tenten gulped. She shoved Naruto with a force that knocked him face-first on the pavement. "I know that, dummy! Sheesh! Not in front of Itachi-san!"

The blond rubbed his aching face. "Ow! You're so sadistic, T! If Sasuke-chan were here, he'd beat the crap outta you!"

"Screw you foxface!"

"Okay, ladies that's enough." Itachi sweat dropped. He patted both of them on the head. "You better go now. I don't know what's gotten into Sasuke's brain that he decided to go for a walk."

Naruto grinned. "Who knows what Sasuke-chan's thinking? I bet it's me!"

Tenten and Itachi merely gave him a dark look.

* * *

11:45 PM

* * *

Sakura glanced at the clock. How strange it was for him to go out at this time! Itachi stated something about his brother taking her home but it seems the aforementioned person didn't return yet. Twisting the hem of her skirt, she let out a long sigh. Throughout dinnertime, she was sorely aware of his accusing looks at her direction. It was very uncomfortable, so she had no choice but to put up a brave front and smile.

After all, what more could he want from her?

She closed her eyes.

Neji.

The sound of pending footsteps broke her thoughts. She looked up and saw Itachi holding two steaming mugs of coffee on each hand. He handed her one. "Here."

Gratefully, she accepted the mug. The man sat suavely on the lounge chair across from her. Silent, both of them sipped their coffee as if it was their last. Sakura didn't like the nervous tension building up between them. It's as if the older Uchiha was waiting for her to talk.

She decided to break the ice. "Um, did Sasuke-san mentioned where he was going?"

"Not really. He took off without telling us, remember?" Itachi tapped one well-manicured nail under his chin. "That boy, he's avoiding something. Or someone."

The girl looked at her mug and sighed. "I think…I'm the one he's avoiding."

"Oh?" This was getting interesting. Itachi feigned ignorance, extracting more…juicy details. He took another sip of his coffee. "I'm not really sure what you mean. Care to tell me more?"

She stared at her cup more, boring holes in it. "Earlier he asked me about Neji."

"And then?"

"It was…confusing. I thought they hated each other. But then he asked me how I'm doing with Neji. I thought he was only showing concern since he was his enemy but this was Uchiha Sasuke. He wouldn't give a damn about anyone. Tonight," she smiled, "he didn't give me that hostile look which he usually had. For a moment there, I almost thought that he was warming up to me."

The older man chuckled. "I see. Does that mean he's starting to care for you?"

Emerald eyes sparkled with renewed curiosity. "I don't know. Maybe he's just asking me that because we're friends."

He smirked shrewdly, setting his mug down the coffee table. "Sakura-san, tell me. Have you ever thought of yourself just being friends with Uchiha Sasuke?"

She slumped back against the sofa. "Um, I'm not really sure..."

"Then, what are you feeling for the two of them right now?"

"I…I don't know."

Itachi's eyes flickered with conviction. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." That was the truth. She already acknowledged the fact she and Neji would no longer go back to the way they used to be. At first, she accepted Neji as her boyfriend because he valued her as his most prized possession. In the end, she realized that a possession was nothing more but a physical matter by nature. Her boyfriend treated her like a trophy girlfriend. Fortunately, she never submitted to him sexually. Or else, that would've been devastating.

For Sasuke, she was somewhat unsure. It never crossed her mind to turn to him for a rebound fling. He proved himself to a certain extent, unfathomable. It was completely understandable from the way he looked and acted around her. His measured gaze, steady composure and controlled movements would make one think that he was incapable of feelings. But after learning bits and pieces of his childhood from Itachi-san, she felt pity and sadness for the stoic lad. Which is why, she made an attempt to make friends with him in order to ease that feeling of loneliness and solitude.

Then of course, she also learned that making friends with the apathetic male would result in countless mishaps and consequences.

His friends didn't lack in showing their disgust of her. His female friend would often give her irritated looks whenever she passed by the corridors during school time. On the other hand, Naruto was more tolerant. He didn't display any hostility towards her and yet it was clear that his loyalty was to his friends. He reminded her so much of Ino.

She returned her gaze back to Itachi who was busy examining his nails. He immediately stopped what he was doing and smiled at her. "Is there something on your mind, Sakura-san?"

She smiled back. "It's nothing."

"Hmm…from the way you're smiling, it would seem to that your thoughts are pre-occupied by my brother and Neji-san. Am I right?"

The girl blanched from his observation. "I…yes."

"Well," Itachi stood up from his seat. "I'm afraid I have to leave you to your thoughts. Sasuke's not back yet and it looks like you'll be staying here again tonight."

She rose up as well. "Not necessary. I'll be going now. We have school in the morning and I didn't inform my parents that I'll be this late."

The older man sighed as he picked up the mugs. "If that's what you wish. However it's almost 12 AM and it's pretty dangerous outside. I know you're a responsible girl but surely, you wouldn't want to put yourself at risk. If I were you, I'd choose the safer way." When she didn't say anything, he made his way for the kitchen.

It was such an easy win.

* * *

12:30 AM

* * *

Silence greeted Sasuke as he locked the main door. He never expected his walk to last that long. Thoughts about a certain pink-haired girl didn't put his mind at ease. The walk made him realize that asking her about Hyuga was a big mistake. It probably made her think that he was concerned about Neji. In reality, he was only asking how she was doing.

'_It was a really stupid move earlier, Sasuke._' he mentally berated himself.

Since when did he start caring about her?

Okay, that didn't sound right.

The living room lights were turned off beforehand. Only the hallway was lit. There was no sign of his brother. 'He must've gone off to bed,' he smugly thought. It only took him a moment to notice that his friends went home already due to lack of noise from his room. Good thing, since he needed privacy to attend to his thoughts. Flicking the switch in his room, his eyes went wide slightly when he saw none other than the pink-haired girl with her back turned on him.

"What are you doing in my room?"

She tensed up. She awkwardly gestured at the desk lamp. "The light was on. There was no one here earlier so I turned it off."

Crossing his arms, he gave an I-don't-think-so stare. "Did my brother tell you to spend the night here again?"

The girl defiantly glared at him. "He did. I told him it was unnecessary. In fact, I only waited for you to tell you goodnight so I'll be on my way."

"I see." He said, moving towards the bed. His eyes were locked into hers as he plopped down on the soft mattress. Somehow, it looked like he won't be attending to his thoughts tonight.

He looked at her again and was surprised. What's the matter with her now? Her look of boldness was utterly replaced with pining and gloom. Truthfully, she was puzzling him with her ever-changing expressions. For the first time, he felt like he wanted to do something, no, anything for her. Totally different from what he was feeling towards his friends. He cringed as he remembered his brother's words. Finally, he admitted to himself that he was slowly showing interest in her.

'_Admit it, Sasuke. You're beginning to like her.'_

It hurt a lot. His brother's words kept on repeating in his mind. He never wanted to admit it, but he…was right.

Damn, but why does it have to be her?

She's Neji's girlfriend. There was no way he was attracted to her. Even though she had beautiful green eyes, pale white skin and that implausibly weird but pretty pink-hair. Not to mention her cute puffed-out cheeks and pouty mouth whenever she's annoyed.

He mentally smacked himself.

Snap out of it!

It was a big NO-NO.

His eyes smouldered with newfound curiosity. Since when did he start caring about what other people think?

He never cared about what other people think before.

Before he let his thoughts get the better of him, he turned to Sakura who was still standing near his desk. "Why don't you sit here on the bed? It's more comfortable than standing there like a stupid statue."

The rosette didn't budge. Idly, he watched her as she relented and made herself comfortable, sitting cautiously next to him. Silence engulfed the entire room. Sakura was having nervous tensions again though it was different with Itachi-san earlier.

With Sasuke-san…she felt lightheaded and almost like falling asleep. Her eyelids have now gotten heavy, and she wondered if taking a snooze would be a good idea.

His cool voice broke her from her reverie. "Sleepy?"

"N-no." She slapped her cheek to get rid of excess sleepiness. The boy chuckled from her action. "It's not funny."

He rested his back against the wall. "Yeah it was."

"It's not!" she retorted, heat building on her cheeks. Her temperature soared up, and she blamed it her hormones for causing it. The petite girl didn't hear any more sounds from him so she turned her head around and look at him. The lad was leaning languidly against the wall with his arms crossed and eyes closed. He was already dozing off to la-la land!

"What the hell? He's sleeping ahead of me!" she muttered angrily. She grabbed a pillow and about to hit him with vengeance when she stopped and looked at him. She never got to see him this close before.

She dropped the pillow and scooted quietly next to him. He was already sleeping so he wouldn't mind her observing his facial features. No wonder Ino and his crazed fan girls obsessed that much about him. Uchiha Sasuke was definitely handsome.

Unruly jet-black tresses framed the sides of his face. If she didn't know him that well, she would've mistaken him for being emo. She took notice of his complexion which was very pale. He reminded her of a handsome vampire with a tragic love life from the novels she used to read. His face was so clear and there were no signs of spots or blemishes. _'What skin product does he use? I should ask him sometime,'_ she mentally asked. Her scrutiny then shifted to his thick eyebrows. Not bushy, just right. She had always love thick eyebrows in men.

It was one of Neji's best assets. But Sasuke's looked better and more natural.

She blinked. Since when did she start comparing Neji to Sasuke?

Taking a deep breath, she continued with her assessment. She giggled quietly, making another discovery. The great Uchiha Sasuke has long lashes. Incredibly long, fluttery, and very effeminate eye lashes. She began to wonder if having thick brows and sexy long lashes were an Uchiha trademark since Itachi-san had these. But his was nothing compared to his brother's. Of course, his lashes weren't that noticeable whenever his eyes were wide open and he was rarely caught sleeping.

Until now, that is.

Her gaze fell on his mouth and her face went beet red. _'Itachi-san wasn't kidding. I'm really feeling something for him…'_ she admitted. Remembering the times he saved her, she fully understood that he was genuinely concerned for her. But, she didn't want him to see her often as a damsel-in-distress. She was beyond all of that. She never wanted him to label her as simply Neji's girlfriend. Until recently, she ended up as his ex-girlfriend.

She needed to confirm something. A lot of questions went running through her mind right now and staring at the sleeping boy didn't help at all. She wanted answers, so she had no other choice but to get it from the source. Taking a deep breath, she made her move. She nudged him by the shoulder. "Sasuke-san."

He groaned with his eyes still closed. "What?"

"I want to ask you something."

He didn't open his eyes. "Can't this wait until morning? I have school." A pillow was slammed at his face, jolting his stupor. Annoyed, he grabbed the pillow and glared at the girl who was trying hard not to laugh. "I'm awake. This question better be good Haruno or I swear I'll make you regret waking me up."

She was unfazed by his threats. Her expression turned from mirth to serious. "I know! But, I really need to ask this because…I'm confused."

He raised a brow. "I'm listening."

She stared at his eyes, which were filled with fatigue. It really was a bad time, but she had to ask him to put her mind at ease. "Um, earlier," she began, uneasiness getting the best of her, "why did you ask me how I'm doing with Neji?"

When he didn't respond, she continued. "Because, I'm thinking…that maybe, you're just concerned about me because I'm his girlfriend."

Sasuke was taken aback. He scratched his head bafflingly. "I don't see any problem with that. I asked you that because actually, I don't know how to open up a conversation with you. Since he's your boyfriend and I knew him, wouldn't it be right to ask how the two of you were doing?"

Sakura didn't know how to respond. Her hand went up to her chest trying to soften the thudding noise of her heart. "W-why would you ask me something like that?"

"I already told you that…what the hell?" He straightened himself, fully awake. "Haruno, why are you asking me about these kinds of things?"

The blushing girl didn't respond. It was too embarrassing. Her emotions were going on haywire and if she couldn't control herself right now…she might do something she will regret. However, he was waiting for her answer. She hesitated. "I…It's because…most people who ask those kinds of questions are friends and I…I don't know if we're on that stage yet."

He sighed exasperatingly. "What you're trying to say is that I asked you that question because I'm thinking of you as my friend?"

She nodded.

He sighed again. Frankly, they weren't even on the friendship stage yet. But he constantly had that unsettling feeling of wanting to be there for her every time she's putting herself at risk. Isn't that called friendship? Or pity? The Uchiha was still unrelenting of placing Sakura within his circle of trust. The two of them may not be friendly with each other but he was slowly developing interest in her.

Was showing interest in her an indication of friendship?

He stared at her. _'What about a relationship then? Since she and I unwittingly kissed on several encounters.'_ Again, Itachi's words replayed like a tape recorder. A relationship with her was surely a possibility but not necessarily. And besides, it's better to avoid big bad Hyuga's dark side.

Finally, he made a decision.

"Haruno," he began. The pinkette stared at him. She was waiting for him to continue. "If asking you that question means I'm concerned for you as a friend, then, I guess I'm beginning to see you as one."

Her eyes were filled with repressed humour. "Really?"

He couldn't help but smirk. Yup, she was slowly growing on him. "Yeah."

She was satisfied with his answer. That feeling of carrying a heavy burden on her shoulders was finally gone. Clapping her hands together, she exclaimed. "Wow, I just can't believe it. We're finally going to be friends. I know you're thinking of me as being too emotional but at least now I feel better because back then, I've always thought of you as untouchable."

His ears perked up after hearing the word. "Untouchable? Am I really that…untouchable?"

Sakura smiled. "Um…yes. It's like you're here with me physically but not emotionally. Since we'll be friends, it's about time you started warming up to people. Most especially to your friends since they've always watched your back."

Sasuke raised a brow. He didn't like listening to sermons. "Are you trying to tell me to open up to other people?"

"Yup!" she answered, raising a hand. His eyes showed disbelief as she patted him on the head. "You're not alone, Sasuke-san. We're going to be friends now. So, if you ever have a problem, feel free to talk to me. And if I have a problem," she faltered yet continued, "I'll come talk to you. Okay?"

"Fair enough," He muttered, lifting a hand up and grasping hers. Somehow, he was having an urge to look at her eyes closely. He leaned towards her. Black met green. "So, am I still untouchable?" he asked, voice husky.

She shook her head, still smiling. "Not anymore. We're friends right?"

"Yeah. But before that," He pulled her closer to him. Sakura was about to ask what he meant by that but her attempt was thwarted as he promptly captured her mouth into a kiss.

And then there was closure.

* * *

**A/N:** There you have! Sorry for the late updates, folks. I have to backtrack to Yokoso's previous chapters and relive my love for Naruto again in order to make this chapter. I just realized that I can't leave this story or my stories unfinished. ^^ Not to worry, this story is back on and there will be more chapters to follow. Don't forget to tell me what you think of this chapter. Till then, Ja ne! :D


	30. A long Hiatus

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

**A/N:** Ladies and Gents! We're back again with the latest chapter of Yokoso! First of all, I want to thank you guys for all the feedback in the previous chapter. I truly appreciate it! Hope you enjoy this chappie and don't forget to tell me what you think! Enjoy!

*This is the revised edition of the previous Chapter 30. I re-read it again and unintentionally left a lot of loopholes so I added some few changes (wink! wink!). Anyways! Read! Read!

* * *

**Chapter 30:** A long hiatus

* * *

**4 ½ Months later**

**3:00 PM**

**Konoha Gakuen**

"And that's all for today. Don't forget to submit your reports tomorrow," Kurenai informed the class as she closed her book. The students heaved a sigh of relief. It was finally over. Listening to their teacher's drone-like voice made them all sleepy. Not to mention the on-going butt cramps from sitting since first period. Everyone was bustling with activity. Some are putting their textbooks back in their bags while others are catching up on the latest news and plans of hanging out. Finally, the students left the room.

Kurenai sighed and arranged all her things. She was about to leave the room when she saw none other than the nerd boy standing directly in front of her. She raised a brow. Doesn't this boy know that class is over? But still, as a giver of education, it was part of her job to entertain whatever problems a student might have. "What is it, Suke-kun?"

The lad bowed his head timidly, he looked hesitant at what he was about to say. The teacher frowned. "Is there something wrong?" she asked again. As if on cue, she heard snickers coming from the corner of the room and she glanced to find Chouji and his group.

'_What are those guys still doing here? If I remember correctly, they should be having a club meeting at the field…'_ she thought. Something's not right. "Chouji! Aren't you supposed to be at the football field by now?"

The fat boy only grinned. "We don't have a meeting today, sensei. In fact, we'll be leaving for home soon."

She suddenly became worried for the boy in front of her. "I suggest you go home too, Suke-kun. But if you have any concerns, you can look for me at the teacher's lounge."

He only nodded his head then turned his back on her. Kurenai turned to leave, and was only a few feet away from the doorway when she there was a loud commotion. Looking back, her eyes widened as she saw Chouji and his cohorts threw Suke's things outside the window. The leader of the pack was holding the poor boy by the neck and he was barking orders at him to do their homework.

Anger consumed her. "Boys! Stop what you're doing this instant!"

The boys reluctantly stopped their oppressive activity. They were all surprised to see their teacher glaring at them. Chouji released his hold on Suke and the latter fell on the ground with a loud THUMP! The brunette stormed angrily at their direction, eyes blazing red. "Akimichi Chouji! I'm disappointed in you! You're the captain of the football team and you're picking on someone smaller than you! Not only that, you even rounded up your friends to join this act!"

Chouji didn't say anything. The aggressors bowed their heads in mock shame. Even if they're already caught in the act, they didn't show any remorse. Kurenai helped Suke up on his feet while glaring at the rest. "All of you will have two weeks detention under Morino-sensei. And as for you Chouji, starting tomorrow, you're restricted from doing your club activities! I will inform Asuma-sensei regarding this matter."

"W-What! But sensei, it's not us who started it! The nerd boy did! He's the culprit!" Chouji exclaimed, flabbergasted.

The others followed suit. "Chouji's right, sensei. We're just helping him get even with that shrimp!"

Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Your point is? What you're doing is a violation of the human rights! I will not tolerate these kinds of acts, not just in my classroom but in the entire school! Since you kept on insisting that what you're doing is right, your detention duty will now be extended to two months."

The bullies clamped their mouths shut. There was no use reasoning with their irate teacher. Suke only blinked, he couldn't believe that someone would rescue him. A hand touched his shoulder. He looked at Kurenai who gave him a smile. "As for you, Suke-kun, you better get your things downstairs. You still have to do gym duty, am I right?"

The bespectacled teen mumbled thanks then left to recover his stuff.

* * *

**4:00 PM**

**Teacher's Lounge**

* * *

"I don't believe it! An incident of bullying at our school! This cannot be tolerated!" Anko exclaimed, taking huge bites of her mitarashi dango. Kurenai only sipped her tea. The homeroom teachers are currently having a meeting based on the incident earlier at her classroom. Asuma scratched his head in disbelief while Kakashi buried his nose at his book.

"I agree with Anko. However, Chouji is an important asset in my team. Not to mention we'll be up against Sunagakure for the next playoff," Sarutobi Asuma commented. He's currently the school's P.E. teacher and in-charge of the football team after the previous teacher Maito Guy went on a training mission to the Himalayas for unknown reasons.

Kurenai scoffed. "As much as I love to see your boys play in the game, they also deserve punishment for bullying."

"Aren't you being harsh? Our principal's looking forward to their performance against Sunagakure," he retorted.

"I'm not changing my decision, Asuma-sensei."

Anko raised her hands in mock surrender. "Now, now let's not all get hasty. How about we figure out what to do for the upcoming Sports Fest?" Kurenai and Asuma didn't answer. The buxom teacher glanced at Kakashi for support. "How about you, Kakashi?"

"Hmm, yeah. Sure."

She rolled her eyes. "Do **YOU** even have any idea what we're talking about RIGHT now?"

His eyes were still glued to the book. "Uh-hmmm, bullying. Bad. Very, very bad."

Steam shot out of Anko's ears as she stomped towards Kakashi. She was about to give him a piece of her mind when her cheeks turned fiery red. No wonder he wasn't paying attention. He was too busy reading his porn book!

Yanking the book off his hands, she snarled at him. "Kakashi! How many times do I have to tell you, don't bring your dirty books to school!"

"Ara, ara, Anko-sensei. I believe that it's rude to suddenly yank a person's only source of entertainment," Kakashi commented idly, prying his book away from Anko's fingers.

The buxom teacher hid the book behind her back. "Not another word, Kakashi! Apparently **YOU** need to focus in improving your teaching methods! They're your students too! You overlooked their actions because you're too busy reading trash!"

The History teacher sighed. Now he was being picked on. "I don't see why we have to indulge ourselves in this situation. Bullying is common in schools. Let's just give the boys a week's detention to serve their sentences."

Anko raised a brow. "Mr. Oh-I-am-so-cool, what about the victim? He might be developing some sort of mental or psychological trauma! It may sound cliché but safeguarding his well-being is our top priority."

"Not to mention he's our best student in terms of academics," Kurenai added, handing Kakashi her class record. Opening it, he barely skimmed the pages though he had to out of fear that Anko might burn his precious book. He raised an inquisitive brow at the nerd boy's impressive grades.

Now this was something interesting.

He closed the book then handed it back to Kurenai. "It was indeed…unexpected. Who knew we have a brainchild in our school? Scratch that, we have a nerd with remarkable grades."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Whatever. So, do you have any suggestions on how to protect this boy?"

Kakashi tapped a finger under his chin. "Hmm, we could propose a non-bullying act to the principal. There's a possibility that he might not be the only victim." His face then lit up as if he received an answer from the heavens. He clapped his hands in mock enthusiasm. "Nevertheless, I want to know the details why he's number one on Chouji's list. So, I'll volunteer to interrogate the nerd boy regarding this incident."

His co-workers looked at him as if he sprang another head. "What? Is there something wrong with my idea?" he asked.

"Why not let Kurenai do it? She's their homeroom teacher after all," Asuma pointed out. He was smacked by Kakashi on the head. "Ow!"

"Baka. They're not going to open up to her, she's a girl. Those boys will only talk if they are in the company of **MEN**," The stoic man replied dryly.

Anko and Kurenai traded looks of annoyance. Kakashi had a point. Knowing that he won, he reached a hand out to Anko. "Since there are no objections, I would like my book back please."

Still seething, she relented.

* * *

**5:00 PM**

**School Gym **

**Men's Shower Room**

* * *

The constant downpour of warm water provided a fleeting relief on Sasuke's back. Earlier, Chouji and his thugs cornered him at the gym as he cleaned the floors. They subsequently meted out every punishment they could've thought of to him. After being thrown in the mouldy storage closet, Sasuke thought of hitting the showers. Itachi would kick him out of their house if he went home smelling like dirty men's socks.

Relishing the feeling, he closed his eyes. Truth be told, he couldn't stand the bullies' offending treatment. But he wouldn't risk his low-lying status because he's vying to be valedictorian. It's his last year at Konoha Gakuen and he wouldn't allow a jerk like Chouji to deter his goals. He smirked as he turned off the shower. Of course, he won't be leaving the school without any payback. After graduation he can finally beat the crap outta them. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he opened the glass door when his senses immediately warned him to full alert.

"My, oh my. Now this is a very startling discovery."

The raven-haired lad flinched, recognizing that voice. He saw Kakashi sitting lazily on the bench, porn novel in hand. He looked up and gave the unmoving boy an inquisitive stare.

Sasuke didn't like that look. "What do you want?"

The man sighed. "I'm looking for Suke, the unfortunate boy who was bullied by Chouji's group earlier. Kurenai informed me that he had cleaning duties so I decided to drop by and interrogate him. But lo, and behold! I found a gorgeously handsome Uchiha Sasuke-kun in his stead. Care to tell me why?"

The younger man huffed in annoyance. He never expected his lazy teacher to find out his secret. It was mortifying. "Well, you found him."

His sensei didn't even look surprised. The fact that his smirk was pretty obvious under his mask added more fuel to the fire. Why was he covering his face anyway? Does he have a contagious disease that he didn't want to share with anyone? Or, he has a deadly case of halitosis. Sasuke shrugged his thoughts aside as he opened his locker and took out his uniform. Standing in front of his teacher with only a towel on was a bad idea. Not to mention very creepy.

Finally dressed, Sasuke grabbed his glasses and closed his locker shut. He glanced at his teacher who was too engrossed at his book. He remarked, "If you don't have anything to say to me, I'll be going now."

"Oh, that. Well," Kakashi scratched his head. "It's strange but I wanted to know why you're being bullied. And also, I was wondering how much money I'll make if I took a picture of your wet body and sell it on the internet." He raised a hand dismissively, the lad's raging aura directed at him. "I'm just kidding!"

"Whatever. I'm going," Sasuke slung his bag over his shoulder. He was about to leave the room when Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder. He swatted his teacher's hand away. "Don't touch me, you lazy lecher!"

"My, my. I never expected Suke-kun to be this brash. If I'd known better, I would report this to the higher-ups and tell them that we have a rogue student here in our school."

Sasuke sighed, resisting an urge to punch his teacher. "I'm not a rogue student. I enrolled here."

"Yes, under Suke's name. But what will happen if I report to the principal that Uchiha Sasuke studied here illegally under the guise of a weak nerd?" Kakashi's expression went from mirth to grim. "You will never graduate. And you will never become valedictorian because of your deception."

Sasuke's eyes went wide. "How'd you know I was aiming for…I mean, what gave you that idea?"

"Your impressive records showed me."

The teen sagged against the door. He already knew the consequences underlying his deceit. Clenching a fist, he gave his teacher a wary look. "Tell me, what should I do in order to keep your mouth shut?"

Kakashi placed a hand above his chest as if he was overwhelmed by the offer. "Ah, bribery. The best way to get a teacher's heart," He closed his book. "How about you let me take a picture of you so that I'll make a profit out of it?"

"That's very smooth of you, Kakashi. However, I'm a public figure. I don't allow my pictures to be taken privately," Sasuke smirked, seeing his shoulders droop in disappointment. "But I'm serious here, what do you want in return for your silence?"

The lanky sensei's expression was filled with incredulity. "Demanding eh? You're indeed an Uchiha, resorting to deals when being put in a tight spot. But I'm not here for that."

Kami-sama, his teacher was still putting him at edge. "Spill it then."

"Earlier we had a staff meeting regarding the bullying incident between you and Chouji's gang."

"It doesn't concern me."

"Uh-huh. Well, that was the first time for us to have that kind of incident here in our school." Kakashi saw his eyebrow twitch then added, "My guess is, this would've been prevented early on if the victim reported it sooner. However, he didn't. And from the looks of things, this has been going on for some time, am I right?"

Sasuke didn't answer. He already expected what would happen if he filed the complaint. A background check will be done on him and eventually, his cover will be exposed to the entire campus. He gritted his teeth. "Yeah, but I never had any problems with it." _Until now_, he added as an afterthought.

"This is also the reason why I'm here. The teachers are looking forward to your support by telling us your side of the story."

The younger man clenched his fist. Stupid teacher, he's ruining everything! "You teachers are so dumb. Even if you guys punish them, they won't stop. They won't stop until they succeed in breaking the person inside out," he retorted. "And besides, I can't corroborate against them. My cover will get blown!"

Kakashi sighed. This boy's a tough nut to crack. He opened his book again to pass the time and their conversation. "This will be all over if you'll just cooperate, Sasuke-kun. All we need is just a testimony from you. And besides, what are you so afraid of? You're tougher than those guys."

The boy glared at him. "Yeah, but I already planned on beating them up after graduation."

His teacher snickered. "That's very mature of you. But since you're still studying in this school, you have no choice but to follow the rules. So, are you going to help us or not?"

"Sorry but I have to say no," Sasuke smirked back. No way was he going to back down on this one.

Still grinning, Kakashi closed his book. He wasn't satisfied with the lad's decision and leaving the room empty-handed. Anko and Kurenai will have his guts once he returns without the lad's affirmation. Nonetheless, a little sacrifice wouldn't hurt. "You're going to regret this. But, your pig-headedness paved a way to my heart so I'm going to help you."

Sasuke blinked. Did he just hear that right? "What…?"

Kakashi chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "I caught you there, didn't I? Yes, I will help you since you're also one of my cute students."

The student looked at his teacher with suspicious thoughts. Now this was something unexpected. "Is there a catch to this particular help of yours?"

His teacher only smirked. "Let's just say that a certain someone asked me to."

* * *

**5:30 PM**

**Konoha Shopping District**

* * *

"Man, I just can't wait for our annual sports festival! It's going to be a blast!" Naruto exclaimed. He and Tenten are currently on their way to meet Sasuke at Sasori's shop. They were going to celebrate the opening of Sasori and Deidara's otaku shop. Sasuke already told them to go ahead and help with the preparations while he stayed at school to finish his duties. "Aren't you excited, T?" the blond asked the girl beside him.

Tenten snickered. Konoha Gakuen will be having their 20th sports festival in a few days and this time, she and Naruto are gonna participate as their school's front runners. Sasuke on the other hand, wouldn't be able to join because he prioritized his cover-up. The brunette sighed. Their friend had way too many problems on hand which made him unable to have fun.

Though nowadays, she noticed gradual changes in Sasuke's disposition. During the past few months, the morose teen occasionally showed his crabbiness except when he's being annoyed by Naruto. He seemed to be more relaxed when he's around them, as if he didn't carry the whole world on his shoulders. Everything seemed well for her, and she thought that the reason for the Uchiha's mood switch was because of them.

Until stupid Foxface noted that his personality changed for the best ever since the pink-haired hussy entered their pack.

She bit her lip in indignation. Just what did she do that made him change anyway?

"Earth to T! We're here!"

She blinked, abruptly stopping her walk. They're now standing in front of a rundown building. The two sweatdropped as they saw the signboard next to the entrance. Naruto read the sign out loud. "Welcome to S.A.D's Shop of Earthly Delights, where you can find all of your heart's desire. Wow, I mean, isn't that a crappy name for a shop?"

Tenten sighed. "Well, it was supposed to be named after the first letter of their names. They didn't like the previous name Kisame-san picked out."

"What was the previous one?"

He grinned. "SASORI AND DEIDARA's HOUSE OF HORRORS."

The girl sighed again. Leave it to Kisame-san to come up with a scary name. After all, the shop was the puppet enthusiast's dream and along with his partner's help it was a huge success. Naruto finally opened the door and stepped inside. "Hello! We're here!"

Deidara looked up from the counter. "Irasshaimase! Well, well, well! What brings you here?"

Tenten plopped on the bean bag chair next to a shelf full of comic books. "Sasuke told us to go here and help prepare for tonight's celebration."

The owner nodded while he tended to the cash register. "Ah, I see. Itachi and Kisame went out to buy refreshments. So, just relax for a while."

Naruto on the other hand, gushed at the latest issues of Icha Icha Paradise at the glass cabinet. "Woweee! These are all best sellers! Where do you guys get all of these anyway? You wouldn't mind if I take a look now, wouldn't you?"

His friend rose from the chair and unceremoniously bonked him on the head. "Baka! Do you even know why they're inside the glass cabinet?"

"It's because they're all special editions!"

Deidara almost dropped the Gunpla he was putting on display. "Naruto, it's because those books are strictly for adults only. Seriously, that's not for guys like you. Anyways, even if you try to pry that open you won't succeed. Sasori's got the key with him."

"And he's not going to tell where."

The three of them looked at Sasori who just came out from the employee's room. He set the package he was carrying down on the floor. "I'm afraid you guys were a bit early. Itachi just called and said that Sasuke's not home yet from school."

"Well, he told us to go on ahead. So most likely he got stalled again by Chouji and his thugs," Tenten sighed. Those guys were always hot on Sasuke's heels.

Naruto snickered. "Ah, Sasuke-chan. I like that masochistic streak of his."

The two owners rolled their eyes in reaction to Naruto's comment. Though they suddenly felt bad for Sasuke especially Deidara, who looked oddly worried. He asked, "Shouldn't you guys like, help him or something? This is the first time I heard of an Uchiha being bullied. Usually, it's the other way around."

"Yeah, but Sasuke's aiming to be valedictorian so he decided to keep his cool."

"That's an Uchiha trait all right. Always have to be perfect at everything," Sasori commented as he opened the package and began sorting out the comic books in alphabetical order. He wasn't surprised by Sasuke's competitive nature. Itachi was also like that. He fondly remembered one time during home economics class that they have to make a doll out of scrap materials. Itachi made his doll out of papier mache while he on the other hand, created his project out of used rags.

Of course, we already know who got the highest grade. '_That was the only time that I didn't get a perfect grade_.' The redhead thought bitterly.

"Anyways, I have to go and get Sasuke. He might be stuck in the dumpster or in the toilet as we speak," Naruto spoke, breaking the puppet master's musings. Deidara only nodded while Tenten looked grim. "Do you want me to go with you? You might need backup just in case," she offered.

The blond flapped his hand offhandedly. "Nah. Don't worry, T! Just wait here in case Itachi-san comes back with the food."

She huffed. "Just make sure that Sasuke takes a bath before he goes here. Leave the preparations for the party to us."

Naruto flashed a victory sign then left.

* * *

**6:00 PM**

**Konoha Gakuen**

**Faculty Room**

* * *

"And that's how it happened. According to Suke-kun, Chouji and the others were just teasing him about his hairstyle and they were actually volunteering to help him modify it."

"Are you sure? If I remember correctly, Chouji was bullying Suke-kun in doing his homework!" Kurenai exclaimed. This was not the answer she was expecting. "Was he threatened by them?"

"Nope."

Asuma laughed. He was relieved that his boys will still have a chance in participating the sports meet. "Why are you so upset, Kurenai-sensei? That's what the kid told Kakashi so I suggest you let this one go."

"You're not on helping matters, Asuma! That boy's been bullied, of course, he'll develop Asperger's syndrome!" Anko interjected. She also didn't like Kakashi's report. There must be something that's holding the kid back to make him change his side of the story.

Kakashi coughed. "I believe they call that Stockholm syndrome, Anko-sensei. And would you please stop attempting to burn my book?"

Eventually, the teachers are engaged in a heated argument over Kakashi's final report. They were astounded at his report that each of them had different mind sets and goals about the incident. Kurenai knew that something was up and she wasn't letting this incident go that easily. Anko, on the other hand, sees this as an opportunity to rehabilitate Kakashi from bringing his erotic books to school. Asuma obviously didn't want his precious players to miss the upcoming sports fest which was already fast approaching.

Kakashi finally wrestled his book back from Anko and tucked it safely in his pocket. As expected, his colleagues would take the bait. He volunteered to be the sacrificial lamb in order to safeguard Sasuke's alter ego. 'Now, why did I agree to do this again?' he complacently asked himself.

The bickering went louder and louder until they heard a loud cough coming from behind them. They turned their heads and sweatdropped. The principal was standing right behind them. "I suppose there is an explanation for this debate. Well, my dear teachers?"

The three of them went silent while Kakashi just laughed silently under his mask. There would be a lot of explaining to do.

…

'This is a total let-down,' Naruto sighed dejectedly, retracing his steps back to the school. Oddly, Sasuke would've been able to handle those bullies by himself if it wasn't for his ultimate goal: Be the valedictorian. Ah, the ironies of following school rules. Even if you're playing as the good guy, you'll still get beaten up in the end.

"Man, if he didn't give us that order of leaving those guys alone then his life in Konoha Gakuen would be easier," he muttered. When it comes to achieving a certain goal, no matter what the hardships are, Sasuke cannot be deterred. He won't stop at becoming the best of the best. Like Sasori said, that was a certain trait that Uchihas were known to have.

The blond boy laughed, remembering the numerous times he competed against his friend. Of course, in the end, he was cruelly defeated one challenge after the other. Ah, yes, kindergarten still held the best memories regarding those said competitions.

Regardless of that, Sasuke is still one of his treasured friends.

'Maybe that's why I'm a bit possessive of him,' Naruto chuckled as he kept walking. He was about to make a turn around the corner when his eyes caught a flash of pink. _'Huh?'_ His expression went from disbelief to shock. Distracted by the scene in front of him, he took the opposite route and followed the source of his confusion.

* * *

**6:45 PM**

**Sasori's shop**

* * *

"I'm here!"

Tenten greeted the newcomer with a huge grin. "Itachi-nii! You finally came!"

Itachi gave her an approving wave as he entered the premises. Kisame followed and had two bags of food and refreshments in each hand. Tenten rushed to his side and helped him put the bags on the table. The older Uchiha scanned the area and was surprised that Sasuke and his loud-mouthed sidekick were not there yet.

Frowning, he turned to Deidara who was helping Sasori sort their merchandise. "Where's Naruto and Sasuke?"

"Ah, Naruto went back to school to get Sasuke."

Itachi raised a brow. "At this time?"

Tenten smiled sheepishly. "Um, yeah. You already know why, right?"

"I see." Bully trouble. "That stupid brother of mine, he would rather get hit than hit them himself. I wonder where he got that masochistic streak of his."

His friends only stared at him as if that was a trick question. Tenten only rolled her eyes in mild annoyance, taking out several paper plates and cups from one of the bags Kisame brought. Placing the plates and cups on the table, she sighed. She already knew the answer to that question.

It's not because Sasuke had a masochistic side in him. He had other choice. If he shed that nerdy disguise of his, his looks would raise his popularity in less than a minute and not soon after, his fan club would compromise his stay at Konoha Gakuen. In the long run, his dad would find out that he wasn't attending his classes at Sunagakure and then he'd get punished. The brunette sighed. She had nothing to do against his decision to be a nerd. It's just that it would've been easier if he attended the school without the crappy get-up. But then again, memories in pink began to occupy her ruminating space.

Her mood turned sour. That hussy will still stick to Sasuke like glue if that were to happen. She angrily plunked the rest of the paper ware, not caring if it were placed haphazardly next to each other. In that case, she has no other choice but to protect her best friend from the pink-haired seductress.

'_I don't know how she does it, but that innocent persona of hers has to go down!'_ she said to herself. She was so immersed with her thoughts of punishing Sakura that she didn't notice the four pairs of eyes staring at her direction.

"What's going on with Tenten?" Kisame whispered to Itachi who was reading one of Sasori's comic books. The ponytailed man shrugged as he flipped the pages. "Ah, you know women. They have that determined look on their faces whenever they're trying to impress their men."

Kisame gave a hearty laugh. "Who? Us? Aw, she's so sweet. I wonder who she likes."

Sasori gave a small chuckle as he and Deidara finally finished sorting the books. "Cut the jokes, Itachi. You already know who she likes. And apparently, he's not here."

His friend only smirked. "I didn't know you're into my kind of teen flicks, Sasori."

"Well, you know me. I don't want to lose to the likes of you."

Deidara snorted. There they go again…

* * *

**7:00 PM**

**Yamanaka Ice Cream Shoppe**

* * *

"Thank you for waiting. Here are your orders, two chocolate sundaes and one banana split."

The two girls gave the waitress an approving smile and they began to eat. Satisfied, she went back to the counter to get more pending orders. Upon reaching the counter, she drew a line across the order she just brought and waited for the next batch. She looked up to see her friend putting the finishing touches on the strawberry parfait. "Yum, that looks delicious!" commenting at her friend's handiwork.

Ino laughed, placing the order on the counter. "Stop praising me, Sakura. Now give that order to our next customer so you can take your break."

"Hai, hai." The pinkette put the parfait on her tray and headed for her next customer. She's currently working part-time at the Yamanaka Ice Cream Shoppe. It was a huge decision to make but it was worth it. The past three months brought nothing but problems on her behalf. Most of which, are still unresolved. But looking on the brighter side, having a part-time job would distract her from one of her burdens and will enable her to take one step closer to independence.

Humming softly, she checked the number on the order slip. With the parfait on hand, she reached the designated table. "Here you go, sir. One strawberry parfait…" her voice trailed off when she saw who the customer was. "N-Naruto?"

"I never thought I'd see you here, Sakura-chan." Naruto gave her an intrusive gaze.

She almost dropped the parfait. "I didn't expect to see you here either," she replied weakly, placing his order in front of him.

The blond then scooped a small amount of ice cream and put it in his mouth. "Hmmm! DE-LI-CIOUS! No wonder you always call off our study sessions. You've been working!"

Sakura checked her watch. Time for her break. "Well, I better get going now. It was nice seeing you here, Naruto." She turned around to leave when she felt a hand on her arm. She looked at him and was surprised to see a serious expression on his face.

"Does he know that you work here?"

"You mean, Neji?"

He shook his head. "Sasuke."

Surprise marred her features. She didn't expect that. "No."

Naruto decided not to prod her with inquiry any further. He grinned widely. "I see. Since it's your break, why don't you hang out with me for a while?"

Sakura smiled. She couldn't say no to that.

* * *

**8:00 PM**

**Sasori's shop**

* * *

Everyone was in live spirits as they celebrated the shop's opening. Sasori and Deidara enjoyed the food while Kisame and Itachi entertained the guests. Konan and Zetsu admired the collectibles placed neatly on the shelves while Nagato drank quietly from his cup. At the far side of the table, Tenten sighed. All that she did in the entire evening was poking her food.

'Where in the hell are those two? It's been more than 2 hours!' she huffed. Without Sasuke and Naruto, she's nothing but a sitting duck in the party! Even though she appreciated Itachi and his group's company, she would never have a good time fun if her friends weren't there.

The front door opened and everyone stopped, checking who it was. Tenten looked up as well and she sighed in relief when she saw it was Naruto who entered the shop. She immediately stood up and greeted him. "Finally! I thought you'll never return!"

Foxface gave her a wide I'm-so-sorry-I-was-late grin. "Sorry about that, T! Don't worry. I'm here now so let's get this party started!"

"Oh yeah! Let's get it on!" Deidara raised his arm in excitement. Sasori smirked as he cranked some tunes on his CD player. Everybody then started dancing including Naruto, who yelled his approval.

"Ohhhh yeah! Now this is my kind of FUN!" He exclaimed then joined the fun. Tenten smiled as she also went to join her partying friends when she remembered something.

"Wait, where the fuck is Sasuke?"

* * *

**9:30 PM**

**Yamanaka Ice Cream Shoppe**

* * *

With a huge smile, Ino finished counting the money they earned for tonight. Closing the cash register, she turned to her friend who just finished wiping the counter. "You're done for tonight. You're free to go, forehead girl."

Sakura smiled as she tossed the rag to its proper place. "Thanks, Ino-chan." She then reached behind the counter to get her bag.

"Tonight was really something. Isn't it?"

"Maybe."

Ino observed her every move, worry showing in her face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She frowned. "Okay with what?"

Her friend crossed her arms. "You already know what I mean, Sakura. You didn't tell Naruto about the entire thing, didn't you?"

She fished out her comb inside the bag and began combing her hair. After gathering it up in a messy bun she answered, "It's for the best, Ino. I don't want anyone else to find out." Seeing the blonde's unwavering expression, she gave her a pleading look. "You're the only one who knows what my current situation is so please, don't tell anyone."

"I got it, I got it." Ino gave her a comforting hug. "Everything will turn out well, Sakura. We still have a few months left until graduation. If you ever need someone a shoulder to cry on, don't hesitate to call me."

The pink-haired girl blinked back her tears. She was thankful that Ino's there to support her. Sure, they bickered a lot when they were kids but deep down, she could count on her friend. The two girls resumed closing the shop when Ino glanced at the clock.

**9:45 PM.**

She winced at the time. "Uh-oh. I'm late for my dinner date with Shikamaru! Is it okay if I leave the rest to you?"

"Sure. Just go through the main door."

The blonde girl nodded her thanks then left.

Sakura sighed as she locked the rest of the doors. Tucking the keys in her pocket, she took her stuff then left through the back door. Stifling a yawn, she began the long trek back home. While walking, she began to rethink all the events that transpired during the past few months.

'Hmmm, let's see. The first one's about my recent breakup with Neji,' she started, remembering her last conversation with Neji. They were on the roof during lunchtime and she wondered why he called her out. He told her he wanted her back and promised her that he would change. Of course, knowing that even if he apologized and changed his ways there was still a huge chance that he would revert to his old ways.

And she was already tired from being a punching bag.

So, she mustered all the courage remaining within her body and tactfully broke up with him. She knew that she loved him with all her heart but she already had enough. She had to pick up the broken pieces of her life one by one and start gluing all of it back together. And just when she was starting to recover from her breakup another problem followed.

A few weeks after her breakup with Hyuga, she received a letter. With curiosity getting the better of her, she opened the letter and read its contents. It was a petition for divorce. She dropped the letter and sagged against the wall. Her stepmom filed a divorce from her dad because he left them with a huge number of debts.

They thought that he was still working abroad. It turns out he didn't and mysteriously disappeared. At first, she didn't know how she would react at what she read but she did the only thing that was in her mind at that time.

She cried.

At school, it was hard to concentrate due to the impact she suffered from her problems. The rent for their house was due next month and if they wouldn't be able to pay on time, they'll eventually be kicked out. Her stepmother suggested that they move back to her family's home in Sunagakure but she disagreed. They have to wait for her father to come back, regardless of where he is.

But first, where are they going to get money to pay the rent?

And that's when she decided to approach Ino. The Yamanakas owned an ice cream shop not too far from her place and that gave her an idea to apply for a part-time job. Her friend was didn't agree to it at first but after telling her of her current situation, she relented. When she started out, it was tough dividing her time between school and work.

Hopefully, once she'll be able to earn enough money, the rent will be paid and she'll start earning next for an apartment of her own. Her family's situation was already becoming worse due to the divorce proceedings and she didn't want anyone to find out. The only that was on her mind right now was to save enough money and move out.

Until she saw Naruto and was emotionally disturbed by his words.

* * *

**Flashback!**

"_Uwaahhh! This is sooooo good!"_

_Sakura smiled as Naruto finished the remains of his parfait. The blond leaned back on his seat and patted his belly. He grinned at her. "That was the best strawberry parfait I ever tasted! I'm very picky when it comes to ice cream but this one really knocked my socks off!"_

_She placed the empty glass on her tray. She'll clean that later. "Well, you should thank Ino for that. She's the one who made it."_

"_Haha, thank her for me then," he whispered. He was still wary of Ino because of her tyranny during the School Festival. Glancing at the girl in front of him, he couldn't help but ask. "Sakura-chan, why are you working?"_

_She fidgeted with the napkin in front of her. "Oh. It's just part-time. I'm saving up for my allowance you see."_

_Tucking a hand under his chin, Naruto gave her a wary look. "Allowance? I thought you told me that your father's working outside the country. Doesn't he provide you guys sufficiently?"_

_An onset of tears was beginning to appear but she calmed herself. She didn't know that Naruto was that observant. Lately, she had been hanging out at Itachi-san's place because Kurenai-sensei assigned her to be Naruto's study buddy. But Naruto preferred hanging around with his buddies rather than studying so she had no other choice but to go along and put him to work. It was okay with her, since, there were times that even she couldn't figure out the answers to their homework so they would occasionally ask Itachi-san. He would often aid them at times until recently; he passed the help baton to his younger brother because Sasori and Deidara needed his support in opening up their business._

_For the first time, Sasuke didn't seem to mind helping them. She never wanted to admit it but he was a better tutor than Itachi-san. Sure, he can be very crabby at times whenever they didn't get a certain problem right but eventually; he would help them solve by providing the easiest methods. _

_Who knew that the stoic and arrogant Uchiha Sasuke would be considerate?_

_And as for Naruto, she never imagined that he would in time be one of her closest friends. She remembered Neji warning her before not to get close to him because of his rowdy and careless behaviour. She believed him then. At first, she was wary of his behaviour but after becoming his study buddy and hanging out with him she later figured out that Neji's claims were false._

"_Oi, Sakura-chan!"_

_She blinked. How long did she space out? "Ah, I'm sorry. What did you say again?"_

_The blond flicked her gently on the forehead. "I was talking about Sasori and Deidara's party but it seemed your head's in La-la land! Is there something troubling you? You looked like you're having some kind of dilemma!"_

"_No! Of course not, I'm just thinking of what to do for our study session tomorrow."_

"_I see." He grinned at her. "Are you that excited?"_

_She blushed. "Ah, no…not really."_

_Naruto was wholly amused. He didn't mean to tease her like that. Her reaction was priceless. 'If Tenten were here, she would surely clobber Sakura-chan,' he mentally snickered. No doubt he was on Tenten's side but after knowing the pink-haired girl, he was having second thoughts of antagonizing her. Now, there are two girls with different personalities who are vying for Sasuke-chan's affection. The first one's a raging tomboy who was still on the verge of realizing her feminine side. The other one's nursing a broken heart and was now afraid of loving another. _

_Who knew that the love triangle between them and Sasuke would be that colourful?_

_As if there was really a love triangle. The Uchiha was too much of an ass to realize his feelings for the two. Even though he knew his best friend from head-to-toe, there were some instances that he couldn't predict what he was thinking. Besides that, Sasuke was focusing too much on his goals. But then again, seeing Sasuke's attention being taken away from him somewhat made him envious. So, he decided to spice things up a bit. _

"_Ne, Sakura-chan," he leaned a bit closer and whispered loud enough for her to hear, "how are things going on between you and Sasuke?"_

_Her face went beet red. "W-what? Why are you asking me that?"_

_He feigned ignorance. "Weeellllllll, I didn't mean to pry but I noticed that the two of you are now in good terms. It's actually rare to see him in a good mood. Usually, he would act like Mr. Grumpy from Snow White whenever there's a new member in the pack."_

"_Oh." Sakura smiled slightly. "That's because I would always consult him regarding our lessons in Geometry. I couldn't figure out the difference between postulates and theorems."_

"_Uh-huh. Just postulates and theorems…hmm?" _

_She frowned, never liking where the conversation was heading. "What are you trying to say, Naruto?"_

_He waved a hand dismissively. "Don't get so worked up, Sakura-chan. I admit that I'm really impressed you were able to break Sasuke's barrier. How'd you even do it? Not even T and I know what that bastard's thinking. And it's really surprising that he's beginning to overcome his fear of women."_

"_Naruto, I…"_

_He leaned a bit more. "In other words, Sakura-chan…what did you do to him?"_

_Her brows furrowed due to misperception. Was Naruto trying to imply that she and Sasuke-kun were getting into a relationship? "I don't know why you're telling me this kind of things, but I want to let you know that he and I are just friends. Our bond will not go beyond that."_

"_But what do you really feel about him?"_

_She couldn't lie to Naruto. It was hard to pretend that she didn't have feelings for his friend. Knowing that she couldn't hide her face which was bright red as a tomato, she bowed her head and quietly admitted, "I…I do like him."_

_Instead of reacting loudly like he always do, Naruto murmured, "I see."_

_She hastily added, "But, even so, I don't want to confuse him with my feelings. I want him to see me as a friend, not because I was Neji's girlfriend. That's why I don't want to ruin our friendship just because I'm feeling something for him. I…I don't want him to think that I'm baiting him to have a relationship with me."_

"_Sakura-chan…" Naruto was at a loss for words. "I understand. I admire your honesty. However," his expression turned forbidding, "If you keep on pretending that there's nothing between the two of you then you're just fooling yourselves. And, I'm pretty sure that's not your only problem."_

_She swallowed thickly. She wasn't ready to open up her problems to him yet. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I…I do love Sasuke-kun. But, I don't want to complicate things for him. Furthermore, I'm afraid I can't tell you with what I'm dealing right now. I have to do this by myself. Onegai, don't tell anyone."_

_Even if she didn't tell him about her predicament, he was still satisfied. She finally admitted her feelings for his big-headed friend. Tenten wouldn't live this one down. And knowing Sasuke, he'll find ways to prevent a bloodbath from happening. But it would be pretty interesting if he could extract some juicy details from the tight-lipped Uchiha._

_Hmm, maybe Itachi-san has some great ideas._

**End flashback!**

* * *

Sakura pushed all her remaining thoughts aside. She was a few steps away from the front door when she suddenly stopped. Somebody is standing under the cherry tree near her house. The streetlights were dim at her place so she was having a hard time identifying the person. Moving a bit closer, she was finally able to make a distinction and immediately reddened upon doing so.

"S-Sasuke-kun! W-what are you doing here?" she asked, in disbelief.

Said man straightened up. Moving in purposeful strides, he walked towards her direction. Apparently, he got annoyed waiting outside her house for a long time. "What does it look like I'm doing?" he snapped.

Her head cocked to one side in confusion. "Anou…were you…waiting?"

He flicked her on the forehead. "Duh! Tonight's the opening of Sasori and Deidara's otaku shop. Stupid Itachi called at the last minute and told me to pick you up because he forgot to remind you of the time. And since you took so long, we're missing the rest of the party."

Sakura blinked. "Tonight's the party?"

"Bingo."

The pinkette's eyes went wide. She made him wait for a long time! Not to mention she let Itachi down because she promised him she'd be there. But then, she saw Naruto earlier! '_Why didn't Naruto remind me? No, scratch that. I should've known it was tonight. I'm such an idiot!' _she berated herself.

Knowing that she caused a lot of trouble for the irritated man in front of her, she bowed her head in apology. "Gomenasai...Sasuke-kun. I wasn't aware of the time. I didn't know…" she didn't get to finish as he flicked her again on the forehead.

He wasn't letting her off that easily. "You think so? Yeah. I wasted a lot of time waiting for you, Haruno." Of course, he was pissed. What kind of person in the right mind would make him wait for 3 straight hours without even answering his calls? He was about to give him a piece of his mind when he stopped.

He saw 'that' look on her face again.

Sasuke lifted a hand and placed it on her cheek. She instantly tense up under his touch. "Why are your eyes red?" he questioned.

Sakura looked down and mumbled, "They were itchy so I scratched it."

His eyebrow rose up. "You think I'd fall for that kind of excuse?"

"I…I didn't mean to…"

"Spill it, Haruno."

With her cheeks still flaming red, Sakura felt like a child who got caught with her hand inside a cookie jar. She wasn't supposed to feel guilty. It was such an awkward state. Was she really that easy to read? The only reason why she never wanted to share her problems with her friends was because she didn't want them to worry. Ino was the only exception since they grew up together. The blond girl was the only one who knew her family's background which is why it was easier for her to relay her thoughts to her. "I'm sorry…but I…" she mumbled, mostly to herself.

Sasuke sighed. He didn't come all the way to her house just to reproach her. They were already running behind schedule and he didn't want to waste any more time. However, seeing her tired and puffy face suddenly brought him concern. Having known her for months, he was able to discern her feelings just by looking at her expressions and body movements.

Her face would light up and her eyes bright would mean that she's in a happy mood. And when her shoulders droop and her expression crestfallen, it would mean that she's sad. But, the combination of these two coupled with lots of stammering and jittering would mean that she's worrying about something and she's trying her best to hide it.

Apparently, the third expression's the one she's having right now.

He took a deep breath. Right now, her expression's more essential than the party. He wouldn't admit it but she was already one of his closest friends. He looked down at her and noticed that his hand was still on her cheek. Seeing her red face, he quickly dropped his hand to his side. "Forget about it. I didn't come here to scare you."

She flustered at his response. "I-I'm sorry." She then glanced at her watch and her frown deepened. It read 10:30 PM. "I'm afraid we won't be able to make it to the party, Sasuke-kun. It's already late."

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. What a bummer. It was Friday Night and he missed Sasori and Deidara's opening night. Just when he thought he could finally unwind due from the events at school earlier. Kakashi literally dropped the bomb when he discovered his secret and unexpectedly, he was able to provide cover for him when the faculty demanded his participation in the bullying incident. The tall sensei admitted that he only did it out of favour for someone. He began to wonder who this enigmatic person was but then he decided not to act against it.

For the first time in his life, he felt exhausted.

And now Haruno was making it worse.

He spoke out of the blue. "What are you going to do about it?"

She was puzzled by his words. "What did you say?"

He glared at her, pinning her down with his gaze. "I'm tired. I'm hungry. I'm bored. I'm thirsty. I'm sleepy. And top it off, I'm annoyed."

Silence passed between the two. Sakura didn't say anything. She was afraid that one wrong response might tick off the irate Uchiha. But like him, she was also exhausted. She went to school like always and worked nonstop at Ino's shop. Not only that, she had to go home and deal with her family problems. It was too much for her to bear. Tears formed around the corners of her eyes and her shoulders shook with fatigue. She desperately needed Ino's shoulder to cry on. It was bad enough that her friend wasn't there and she was tearing up in front of another person.

"I…I…"

Sasuke noted the hitch in her voice and opened his mouth to speak when she, all of a sudden, slumped against his chest. "Haruno! What in the world…" he didn't get to finish when he felt her shoulders shaking and she was making tiny muffled sounds. His hand clenched as he realized what the girl was doing.

Apparently, in this kind of situation Uchiha Sasuke had no idea what to do.

Should he stop her from crying?

He was supposed to, right?

Oh man.

Instead of putting his stupid thoughts into words, he gathered her in his arms. She was crying rather loudly now, her tears staining the front of his shirt. _'Now what?'_ he asked himself. This was his first time to hold a member of the opposite sex. What was he supposed to do? It was then he remembered a particular incident in their school project when their electronic baby cried nonstop. He held the wailing Koichi in his arms and by instinct, stroked its back. It seemed to work since Koichi stopped and his cries were reduced to giggles.

Maybe, it will work on her.

Still unsure, his hand went up and stroked her hair. She kept on crying so he repeated the action until she finally calmed down. The two of them stayed in that position and Sasuke had qualms that the pink-haired girl must be enduring something much more.

'_This is going to be a very long night.'_

* * *

**A/N:** And there you have it folks! I'm kinda happy that this one turned out to be longer than the previous chapter and I must say, the title suits my situation but, don't fret! Yokoso will still continue, as always. Or else my beta reader will have my head. Again, don't forget to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter!

And of course, I missed asking questions and leaving you with cliffies, I'm leaving you guys with this question:

"What's Sasuke's next step in comforting Sakura?"

a. Beat her up to a bloody pulp.

b. Give her a warm cup of milk tea.

c. Put her to sleep.

d. Other: (Come up with you own answer.)

Don't forget to answer and I hope to hear from you guys again! Ja ne! ^o^


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